Felipe Quispe Huanca "

Mallku Mallku is a title roughly translating as "prince" or "leader" in the Aymara language of South America. They recognise an Apu Mallku as their "supreme leader" or "king". There is also an institution called the ''Council of Mallkus and Amautas'' whi ...

" (

Quechua language Quechua (, ; ), usually called ("people's language") in Quechuan languages, is an Indigenous languages of the Americas, indigenous language family spoken by the Quechua peoples, primarily living in the Peruvian Andes. Derived from a common anc ...

: "condor"), (22 August 1942 – 19 January 2021) was a Bolivian historian and political leader. He headed the

Pachakuti Indigenous Movement The Pachakuti Indigenous Movement (Spanish: ''Movimiento Indígena Pachakuti'') was an indigenist political party in Bolivia founded in November 2000. At the legislative elections in 2002, the party won 2.2% of the popular vote and 6 out of 130 ...

(MIP) and was general secretary of the United Union Confederation of Working Peasants of Bolivia ( CSUTCB).

Biography

Quispe founded the Tupak Katari Indian Movement in 1979 and the Tupak Katari Guerrilla Army in 1990. His honorific name, Mallku, refers to the spirit of the mountains that surround and protect the People, and therefore is the source of life. "Mallku" means "peak" both in geography and in hierarchy. In 1984, he was one of the leading organisers of the

Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army Tupac Amaru Shakur ( ; born Lesane Parish Crooks, June 16, 1971 – September 13, 1996), also known as 2Pac and Makaveli, was an American rapper. He is widely considered one of the most influential rappers of all time. Shakur is among the b ...

, a failed armed insurrection against the government. Quispe was arrested for his involvement in the movement on August 19, 1992. Quispe has worked for the establishment of a Tawantinsuyu republic — which would take the name "

Collasuyu Qullasuyu (Quechua and Aymara spelling, ; Hispanicized spellings: ''Collasuyu, Kholla Suyu'') was the southeastern provincial region of the Inca Empire. Qullasuyu is the region of the Qulla and related specifically to the native Qulla Quechuas wh ...

" — in the

Aymara Aymara may refer to: Languages and people * Aymaran languages, the second most widespread Andean language ** Aymara language, the main language within that family ** Central Aymara, the other surviving branch of the Aymara(n) family, which today ...

-majority regions of Bolivia. Quispe was a staunch opponent of the

neoliberal Neoliberalism (also neo-liberalism) is a term used to signify the late 20th century political reappearance of 19th-century ideas associated with free-market capitalism after it fell into decline following the Second World War. A prominent fa ...

Washington consensus The Washington Consensus is a set of ten economic policy prescriptions considered to constitute the "standard" reform package promoted for crisis-wracked developing countries by Washington, D.C.-based institutions such as the International Monet ...

, and was also strongly against U.S.-led schemes toward

coca eradication Coca eradication is a strategy promoted by the United States government starting in 1961 as part of its "War on Drugs" to eliminate the cultivation of coca, a plant whose leaves are not only traditionally used by indigenous cultures but also, in m ...

, which he sees as destroying a critical part of Aymara culture. He was involved heavily in the Bolivian Gas War. Quispe ran a failed campaign in the 2005 presidential elections, which saw the victory of indigenous

Evo Morales Juan Evo Morales Ayma (; born 26 October 1959) is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to co ...

, leader of MAS (Movimiento al socialismo). Quispe was a vocal critic of Morales' government, characterising it as representing "neoliberalism with an Indian face". Quispe died on 19 January 2021 in El Alto from

cardiac arrest Cardiac arrest is when the heart suddenly and unexpectedly stops beating. It is a medical emergency that, without immediate medical intervention, will result in sudden cardiac death within minutes. Cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and possib ...

References

Bibliography

External links

El Mallku Speaks: Indigenous Autonomy & Coca - The Narco News Interview with Felipe Quispe
1942 births 2021 deaths 21st-century Bolivian politicians Bolivian exiles Bolivian expatriates in Cuba Bolivian expatriates in El Salvador Bolivian expatriates in Guatemala Bolivian expatriates in Mexico Bolivian expatriates in Peru Bolivian guerrillas 20th-century Bolivian historians Bolivian people of Aymara descent Bolivian trade union leaders Candidates in the 2002 Bolivian presidential election Candidates in the 2005 Bolivian presidential election Higher University of San Andrés alumni Indigenous activists of the Americas Jallalla La Paz politicians Members of the Chamber of Deputies (Bolivia) Pachakuti Indigenous Movement politicians People from Omasuyos Province {{Bolivia-politician-stub