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Silvia LazarteBolivian peasant and trade union activist
Date of Birth: 10.01.1964
Country:  Bolivia |
Content:
- Silvia Lazarte: A Champion of Bolivian Peasants and Indigenous Rights
- Women's Leadership
- Political Engagement
- Presiding over the Constituent Assembly
- Later Life and Legacy
Silvia Lazarte: A Champion of Bolivian Peasants and Indigenous Rights
Early Life and ActivismSilvia Lazarte, a native Quechua woman, was born into extreme poverty in Capinota, Cochabamba, Bolivia. In the early 1970s, her family migrated to Villa Tunari in search of a better life. From a young age, Lazarte worked on the farm, sacrificing her education.
At the age of 13, she was introduced to the union movement. When her father became seriously ill, he empowered her as his successor in the coca growers' union. In 1982, at 18, Lazarte emerged as a union leader, supported by Evo Morales, who went on to become president of Bolivia.
Women's Leadership
Lazarte took on leadership roles in several women's organizations. She headed the National Federation of Bolivian Peasant Women "Bartolina Sisa," a prominent South American rural women's organization until 2001. She became the first executive secretary of the Federation of Women's Organizations of the Cochabamba Tropics (FECAMTRP).
Political Engagement
Lazarte served as a councilwoman in Villa Tunari from 1999 to 2001. She later relocated to Santa Cruz and faced persecution and imprisonment for her political activism. Recognized as a leading peasant leader, she was elected to the Constituent Assembly in 2006 on behalf of the left-wing Movement for Socialism (MAS).
Presiding over the Constituent Assembly
As part of an agreement between social organizations and President Evo Morales, Lazarte was appointed as President of the Constituent Assembly, tasked with drafting a new constitution. She assumed the role at the age of 42, as a founder and executive secretary of the Central Federation of Women of New Chapare.
Later Life and Legacy
After the Constituent Assembly, Lazarte returned to her land in Santa Rosa de Sara, where she promoted food sovereignty, farming rice, soy, corn, and sorghum, and raising livestock. She remained politically and unionally active, supporting Evo Morales' re-election campaign in 2014.
Silvia Lazarte passed away on June 28, 2020, due to lung disease. Her loss was mourned by former presidents Evo Morales and Carlos Mesa, as well as other Bolivian political and union leaders. Her legacy remains an inspiration for indigenous rights, women's empowerment, and the struggle for a more just and equitable society in Bolivia.
