After attending the rite with my friend Victor, we couldn't help but discuss the whole celebration and the meaning it was supposed to convey and although we really enjoyed it, we found it hard to believe it would actually change the fact that the Bolivian society, like many others, is still a really machist one and that most people will still celebrate their union under the eye of a Catholic God.
Another anecdotic fact to mention is that María Galindo – reknown extremist La Paz feminist and leader of Mujeres Creando – went to the wedding to, as she claimed, cover it, and was expelled. For those of you who might be interested in this, here's a link to a webpage in Spanish with more information (however, be aware that this info might be biaised since it was written by some member of Mujeres Creando): http://www.facebook.com/notes/mujeres-creando/matrimonio-no-gracias-ni-por-curas-ni-por-amautas/223630184321184
María Galindo is hated by many people because of her extreme ideas and actions and in spite of what she claimed, it's possible, though not certain, that she was not only there to simply cover the event. I'd honestly be curious to know what her intentions were and though I know where to find her and she would probably answer my questions if I went there, I'm not sure I feel like interviewing her again when I remember how hard it is to discuss with such a woman (she told me several times I was stupid if I thought that the condition of women was different according to the country and that the woman was indifferently considered as an object everywhere in the world. So basically, there's no difference as to status or condition between an Afghan woman who has to wear a burka and German lawyer who goes to vote). Las Mujeres Creando are famous for, amongst other things, the graffiti's they paint all over the city, one of those reading as follow:
'No hay descolonización sin despatriarcalización'.
Lorange Pressée
For your information, I've been writing this post while having lung at a German bakery, listening to a music selection consisting of 9 different tracks (which they, by the way, play everyday; I don't quite understand how the employees can survive it), three of those being
_ 'Quit playing games with my heart', by the Backstreet Boys;
_ 'Knocking on heaven's door', sung by Avril Lavigne, and it ruins this wonderful song;
_ the Titanic song by Céline Dion.