Plaza San Francisco a major urban

plaza A town square (or square, plaza, public square, city square, urban square, or ''piazza'') is an open public space, commonly found in the heart of a traditional town but not necessarily a true geometric square, used for community gatherings. ...

in the city of

La Paz La Paz (), officially known as Nuestra Señora de La Paz (Spanish pronunciation: ), is the seat of government of the Bolivia, Plurinational State of Bolivia. With an estimated 816,044 residents as of 2020, La Paz is the List of Bolivian cities ...

Bolivia , image_flag = Bandera de Bolivia (Estado).svg , flag_alt = Horizontal tricolor (red, yellow, and green from top to bottom) with the coat of arms of Bolivia in the center , flag_alt2 = 7 × 7 square p ...

, and a frequent location for political gatherings and protests. It is located in front of the San Francisco Cathedral (from which it takes its name) as well as the Lanza Market and the headquarters of the La Paz Factory Worker's Departmental Union Federation. The plaza was enlarged to 6,163 square meters in 2011. It was designated the city's Plaza Mayor, although this title had been used in the past for the

Plaza Murillo The Plaza Murillo is the central plaza of the city of La Paz and the open space most connected to the political life of Bolivia. Prominent buildings on the plaza include the Presidential Palace, National Congress of Bolivia, and the Cathedral of ...

. Together with 1,140 m2 Plaza Fabril constructed at the same time in front of the Factory Worker's Federation, it constitutes the largest open public space in urban La Paz. It is located in the old town, and bordered on the north by Perez Velasco street, which is short segment of La Paz's main artery. Perez Velasco roughly follows the route of the now-culverted Choqueyapu River.

History

The plaza has long been a politically important space. It was a strategic location during the three-day April insurrection that won the 1952 Revolution. Following the dictatorship years of 1971–82, elected president Hernán Siles Suazo came to the Plaza first upon returning from exile. In the 2003 Gas War, the plaza was the central gathering place for crowds opposing the privatization of Bolivia's gas resources and demanding the resignation of President

Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada Sánchez Bustamante (born 1 July 1930), often referred to as Goni, is a Bolivian businessman and politician who served as the 61st president of Bolivia from 1993 to 1997 and from 2002 to 2003. A member of the Revolut ...

References

{{coord, -16.4959, -68.1371, type:landmark_region:BO, display=title Plazas in Bolivia La Paz Buildings and structures in La Paz Department (Bolivia)