Beyond Indigeneity: Coca Growing and the Emergence of a New Middle Class in Bolivia

223 Pages·2016·2.112 MB·English

by  Alessandra Pellegrini Calderón

Beyond IndIgeneIty

aLeSSandra
PeLLegrInI CaLderÓn
BeYOND
iNDigeNeiT Y
Coca Growing and the Emergence
of a New Middle Class in Bolivia
TUCSON
The University of Arizona Press
www.uapress.arizona.edu
© 2016 The Arizona Board of Regents
All rights reserved. Published 2016
Printed in the United States of America
21 20 19 18 17 16 6 5 4 3 2 1
ISBN-13: 978-0-8165-3310-7 (cloth)
Cover design by Leigh McDonald
Cover photo by Alessandra Pellegrini Calderón
This work was accepted as a PhD thesis by the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Zurich
in the autumn term 2013 on the recommendation of the Doctoral Committee: Prof. Peter Finke (main
supervisor), Prof. Willemijn de Jong, and Prof. Andrew Canessa.
Publication of this book is made possible in part by the proceeds of a permanent endowment created
with the assistance of a Challenge Grant from the National Endowment for the Humanities, a federal
agency.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Calderón, Alessandra Pellegrini, author.
Title: Beyond indigeneity : coca growing and the emergence of a new middle class in Bolivia /
Alessandra Pellegrini Calderón.
Description: Tucson : The University of Arizona Press, 2016. | Includes bibliographical references and
index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016008675 | ISBN 9780816533107 (cloth : alk. paper)
Subjects: LCSH: Coca industry—Social aspects—Bolivia—Yungas. | Social mobility—Bolivia—Yungas. |
Middle class—Bolivia—Yungas. | Indigenous peoples—Economic conditions. | Indigenous
peoples—Bolivia—Yungas.
Classification: LCC HD9019.C632 B64173 2016 | DDC 308.898/085—dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2016008675
This paper meets the requirements of ANSI/NISO Z39.48–1992 (Permanence of Paper).
To my parents, Antonio and Maja Pellegrini,
who enabled me to follow my interests and my fascinations
To my husband, Yussif Calderón,
whose dream was always to write a book
x

ContentS
List of Illustrations ix
Acknowledgments xi
A Note on Names xv
Introduction 3
1 Histories of Migration and Struggle 30
2 People and Coca Fields 53
3 Supplying Coca for a nation 85
4 What Has a Long History Is the Land 107
5 Indigenous Morality and the Immoral economy 130
Conclusion 149
Abbreviations 165
Notes 167
Glossary 173
References 177
Index 197

ILLuStratIonS
Figures
1. Old and new houses 18
2. Landscape in the Yungas 22
3. View of Piñapata 33
4. Road passing through Piñapata 34
5. Tent with iron sheeting in the coca field 56
6. Harvesting wachu 59
7. Coca fields growing in age and extent 64
8. A newly terraced coca field 76
9. Preparing a taki for taking to La Paz 92
Map
1. The three coca-growing regions in Bolivia 11