258 CultureShock! Bolivia
Acronyms
ALCA The Free Trade Area of the Américas (Area de
Libre Comercio de las Américas) is a United
States-initiated attempt to establish open
trade borders throughout the Américas,
which has been opposed by a large majority
of Bolivians as unbalanced and constricting
against Bolivia’s agriculture and industry.
APDHB Permanent Assembly of Human Rights
(Asamblea Permanente de Derechos
Humanos de Bolivia) which is closely
associated with the historical leadership of
Waldo Albarracín.
ASOFAMD Association of the Families of Martyrs and
the Disappeared, this organisation struggles
against impunity of human rights abusers
from former dictatorships and investigates
the truth about disappeared political
prisoners whose bodies were never found.
CIDOB The Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of
Eastern Bolivia (Confederación de Pueblos
Indígenas del Oriente Boliviano) is a grass
roots advocacy organisation.
COB The Bolivian Workers’ Centre (Central Obera
Boliviana) that, under the leadership of
Juan Lechín, participated as co-government
following the 1952 revolution. Since then, the
COB, mainly supported by miners, teachers
and peasant unions, has been involved in
most Bolivian social movements.
CSUTCB Confederation of Bolivian Agricultural
Workers (Confederación Sindical Unica de
Trabajadores Campesinos de Bolivia) has a
long and rich history of defending Bolivian
peasant rights.
COMIBOL The National Mining Corporation
(Corporacion Minera Boliviana)