Pray for Bolivia

Once part of the ancient Incan empire, Bolivia, in central South America, is a land of contrasts and distinctions. This country’s climate ranges from very cold to warm and steamy as the landscape changes. The Andes mountains surround a vast plateau where almost half the population lives. The capital city, La Paz, sits at 3,630 meters (11,910 ft.) making it the highest capital city in the world. Bolivia’s silver attracted the Spanish in the 16th century, when they conquered and reduced the native population to slaves. Bolivia today has the most indigenous population in South America because its remoteness protected the Indians from European diseases. For the first time since independence from Spain in 1825, Bolivia has elected a president from the indigenous majority.

Even though Bolivia is rich in mineral and energy resources, it is one of the least developed and poorest countries in South America.  One third to one half of its people live in poverty.  Many of those in poverty are subsistence farmers who produce the world’s third largest amount of coca, finding it more profitable than “honest agriculture”.  The discovery and export of large natural gas deposits since the early 2000s have helped the economy and are currently under state control.

Bolivians are overwhelmingly Catholic (at least formally), and the Catholic Church has historically wielded enormous influence. It is now being threatened by the sizable increase in Protestant and other non-Catholic denominations. A further challenge is the large number of baptized Roman Catholics, over one-half, that practice Catholicism with traditional Inca and Christo-pagan religions. The number of Evangelical Christians has risen to over fifteen percent and their influence is growing.  Some form of the Bible is available in most Bolivian languages, but illiteracy prevents many from reading it.  Bolivia is changing politically and many are unsure of the future, but each day they live with poverty and the resulting social issues. The message of the Bible and the hands of the local churches and Christian missions are working to bring hope with programs that display the love of Christ.