Photo of Génesis Juliane Quispe taken by Jessica Peñaloza Cladera for Rising Voices.

A group of 11 young people from various Indigenous and Afro-Bolivian communities in the Gran Chaco region in Bolivia participated in the workshop entitled “Roipea Taperai” (“Opening Paths,” in the Guaraní language). The workshop focused on the terms used in Bolivian media when reporting on climate change or Indigenous peoples in the region (more about the workshop is available to read here). What follows is an interview with one of the participants in this workshop.

Génesis Juliane Quispe, a 16-year-old from the town of Charagua, located in the Cordillera province of the Department of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, is currently part of the School of Indigenous Journalism and the host of some episodes of the “Ñande Ñee” radio programs.

This young radio broadcaster does not hesitate to highlight ancestral knowledge, mainly that related to traditional medicine that the people of her community practice or use on a daily basis. She recalls that, given the lack of care in health services, many people used traditional medicine to deal with the COVID-19 pandemic. For this reason, she believes that the mass media should promote the debate around the health projects for her region, so that they reach her communities and people could have access to free health. She also considers that it would be important for the media to make  traditional medicine used in her region more visible because it is essential for the people of the Gran Chaco.

In this interview, she explains her views on the information disseminated by the mass media and the issues that should be addressed with greater emphasis.

Word cloud for the terms “Chaco” and “disasters” generated by Media Cloud.

Rising Voices (RV): During the workshop the participants chose a word cloud and identified specific terms. You chose the cloud that results from the search for “Chaco” and “disasters”. Within that cloud, you identified the terms “health” and “health safety” as words you wanted to reflect on. How have you seen those terms being represented in the media?

Génesis Juliane Quispe (GJQ): Estaba viendo las noticias y se representa mucho con proyectos. Proyectos que benefician a las zonas donde se han ejecutado, cosa que no representa a la localidad donde vivo yo porque son muy escasos los proyectos en cuanto a salud. Por ejemplo, en el tiempo de la pandemia eran muy escasas las camillas para los pacientes que llegaban enfermos y tampoco había muchas cámaras de desinfección. Así que las instituciones de la zona tuvieron que buscar recursos para poder conseguir este tipo de seguridad.

En lo referido a salud sí lo representan. Dicen que se están ejecutando proyectos. No hace mucho creo que habían mandado equipamientos a Chuquisaca, si no me equivoco, para tratar el cáncer. Pero, que lleguen proyectos aquí a la zona de Charagua, no llegan. Sí, había un proyecto, pero se lo tuvo que destinar al tema de educación. Pienso que la prioridad era la salud, porque en los tiempos de COVID muchas personas murieron.

Génesis Juliane Quispe (GJQ): I was watching the news discussing projects that benefit the areas where they have been carried out; but in the town where I live there are very few health-related projects. For example, during the pandemic there were very few beds for patients who arrived sick and there were not many disinfection chambers either. So, the institutions in the area had to find resources to be able to achieve this type of health safety.

Mass media talks about health projects being carried out. Not long ago, I think they had sent equipment for cancer treatment to Chuquisaca. But, there are no projects in the Charagua area. There was a project, but related to education. I think the priority should have been health, because during the COVID-19 pandemic many people died.

RV: What words should a word cloud include for the terms you chose?

GJQ: Con el término salud deberían estar palabras como medicamentos, equipamientos adecuados, salud gratuita, mujeres embarazadas, salud para los niños y niñas, comunidades y la salud tradicional o medicina tradicional.

GJQ: A word cloud related to the term “health” should include words such as “medicines”, “adequate equipment”, “free health”, “pregnant women”, “children's health”, “communities”, and “traditional health” or “traditional medicine”.

RV: During the workshop, the group created a word cloud with terms that they believe represent them. Explain what words you highlighted in your cloud and why.

GJQ: Una de ellas fue la salud tradicional. Por qué pienso que los medios deberían abordar este tema, porque como tenemos entendido o al menos aquí en la zona de Charagua Pueblo, la medicina natural se utiliza mucho, porque es esencial para todos. Hubo muchas personas que evitaban contagiarse con la medicina natural, con la medicina tradicional también se salvó a muchas personas.

GJQ: One of the terms was “traditional health”. I think the media should address this issue because at least here in the village of Charagua, natural medicine is widely used, as it is essential for everyone. There were many people who used natural medicine to avoid getting infected, so traditional medicine saved many people.

RV: What topic is not discussed in the media in your region?

GJQ: Las desventajas de un proyecto. Un ejemplo claro sería la carretera que es un proyecto que se está ejecutando aquí hace mucho tiempo y [los medios] sólo muestran las ventajas. Por ejemplo, dicen que nos va a traer grandes progresos en lo económico, que nos vamos a hacer más conocidos, pero no muestran las desventajas, por ejemplo, la carretera ha atraído mucho la tala de árboles y ahí la comunidades, como también la flora y la fauna se han visto afectadas. Otro tema que pienso que deberían abordar y mostrar aquí en Charagua Pueblo es la medicina natural que es muy esencial […] para la cultura guaraní, porque es herencia, es lo que nuestros antepasados nos han dejado.

GJQ: The media does not discuss the disadvantages of a project. A clear example would be the highway, which is a project that has been going on here for a long time and [the media] only shows the advantages. For example, they say that it will bring us great economic progress, that we will become better known. But they do not show the disadvantages; for example, there was a lot of tree felling caused by the highway, and the communities, as well as the flora and fauna, have been affected. Another issue that they should address and discuss here in the village of Charagua is natural medicine, which is essential […] for the Guaraní culture, because it is our heritage from our ancestors.

RV: What examples of harmful or incorrect information about the problems in your region have you seen in the media, including on social networks?

GJQ: Un ejemplo claro sería, como mencioné anteriormente, la carretera, idealizan mucho. Dicen que nos va a traer mucho progreso, pero no muestran el lado de la desventaja, el lado de las personas que se ven afectadas […] que vendrían a ser las comunidades, como también la flora y la fauna. Bueno, aparte de eso la delincuencia tal vez va a subir un poco más porque ya se han visto casos de que han raptado a niños.

GJQ: A clear example would be, as I mentioned before, the road. They praise it a lot saying it will bring us a lot of progress, but they do not show the disadvantages, how people in the communities, as well as the flora and fauna, are affected […]  Also, crime may be going up a bit, because there have been cases of children being kidnapped.

RV: And what do you want the people of the Gran Chaco to know about climate change in your region?

GJQ: Dos temas en específico sobre la contaminación y sobre la sequía. Sabemos que Charagua es un pueblo donde la agricultura es el sustento de muchas familias porque viven de eso y la sequía ha afectado mucho a esta zona porque se han arruinado los cultivos y a causa de esto hubieron familias que no tenían ni para comer porque es de lo que viven. En temas de contaminación sería el exceso de plásticos. Si podemos ir a ver las calles de Charagua, observarán que hay mucho plástico en las calles, en las quebradas, en lugares turísticos y pienso que es algo que se debería tocar y concientizar más que todo.

GJQ: Two specific topics: pollution and drought. We know that Charagua is a town where agriculture is the livelihood of many families, it is what sustains them; the drought has greatly affected this area and the crops have been ruined, so there were families who did not even have enough to eat. In terms of pollution, it would be the excess of plastics. Media should go see the streets of Charagua where there is a lot of plastic in the streets, in the ravines, in tourist places. I think that it is something that media should discuss and made people more aware of.

RV: What do you want the people of Bolivia and the world to know about climate change in your region?

GJQ: El daño. Porque estamos siendo muy afectados por la contaminación y la sequía. Hay personas que no conocen este tema, es muy fácil botar un plástico y decir no nos está haciendo daño ni nada de eso, pero a la larga si nos está trayendo graves consecuencias. Pienso que deberían saberlo para que así tomen conciencia y ayuden a cuidar el medio ambiente, que es lo que importa. 

GJQ: The damage. Because we are being greatly affected by pollution and drought. There are people who are not aware of this issue; it is very easy to throw away plastic and say it is not impacting us, but, in the long run, it has serious consequences. I think people should know so that they become aware and help take care of the environment, which is what matters most.