The Bolivian People 53returns from their fame. In a place where power seemed to
be monopolised by a few, fame is divvied up among many
and may last for 15 days or 15 months but rarely ever 15
years. Those who believe that fame is an illusion will fi nd
grist for their mill in Bolivia.
Bolivia has no true celebrities because most fi lm actors,
football stars and politicians walk the same streets as the
average José. Leading actors stroll on the main avenue and
champion football players sit shoulder to shoulder in the
stadium with the multitudes.
If asked for an autograph, these surprised headliners
never fail to comply. During a period when the celebrity
industry is one of the pillars of the US economy,
Bolivia’s underdevelopment is epitomised by its lack of an
autograph industry.
Privacy for Celebrities
I once saw Jorge Ortiz, the star of a prizewinning Bolivian fi lm, A
Question of Faith, right outside the ticket window, and no one was
asking him for an autograph.The best indicator of Bolivia’s evasion of celebrity
consciousness is the lack of anyone resembling a
gossip columnist.
In this new edition of CultureShock! Bolivia, I have resolved
to profi le people whose future should be more sustainable,
using criteria of achievement that transcend simple notoriety.
We shall begin, literally, at the top.
Bernardo Guarachi
If altitude determined authority, Bernardo Guarachi would
occupy the top echelon, for he was the fi rst and thus far the
only Bolivian to have climbed Mount Everest, reaching the
peak on 26 May 1998. From rural Patacamaya, Guarachi
was the son of pastors who worked as high as 5,000
m (17,000 ft) above sea level. Today he is a mountain
climbing guide, famous for his courteousness and
inner strength.