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Bolivian political flags

Last modified: 2007-06-16 by antónio martins
Keywords: movimento al socialismo | mas | pds | podemos | adn | arrow | tradepa | disc (white): lettering | izquierda unida | iu | eje | pacha kuti | revolution | star: 5 points (yellow) |
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MAS
Movimento al Socialismo (Movement towards Socialism)

Flag of MAS
image by J. Patrick Fischer, 19 Dec 2005

"MAS" (from Movimento al Socialismo = Movement towards Socialism), by the way, may be interpreted as the Spanish word "mas", meaning "more".
António Martins, 20 Dec 2005

The winner of today’s Bolivian presidental election is Evo Morales of the Movimento al Socialismo — MAS, who will be the first Indian president of Bolivia. Many of his followers were waving a blue flag with black and white stripes at the edge. Proportions seem to be approx. 1:2. I checked their homepage, but wasn’t able to find informations of the flag; their colours seem to be blue, black and white. The Indian [Qullasuyu] flag is used a lot in there.
J. Patrick Fischer, 19 Dec 2005

I seen this flag (though I’d say it is 3:5 or 2:3, not 1:2) in photos of Morales’ campaign meetings. The final scenes of this party on line animation suggest that this is indeed the flag of MAS.
António Martins, 20 Dec 2005

Morales tried to establish an own party I.P.S.P. (Instrumento Político por la Soberanía de los Pueblos). But he failed being permitted to participate the elections for formal reasons. So he made a deal with a conservative former General and businessman, David Añez Pedraza, who led an unimportant party, MAS. Morales simply bought the name and the flag and integrated his own organization into MAS. So his socialist movement is probably the only one in the world having a blue flag.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2006

Variant with single white stripe and dark blue

Flag of MAS
image by Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2006

It is a blue 3-times width, - white - darkblue vertikal tricolour of unknown ratio.
Klaus-Michael Schneider, 16 May 2006


A.D.N.
Acción Democrática Nacionalista (Democratic Nationalist Action)

According to Mary del Carmen Arias, leader of the ADN party in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the party will not use [in the 2005 presidential elections] either the colours or the arrow which characterizes the party. She said: «We will not use our red, black and white flag since we will be incorporated in a new alliance of parties». It seems that ADN will unconditionally rally the banner of the Poder Democrático Social. ADN seems to be an historical party in Bolivia. In 2002, the controversial General Hugo Banzer (1926-2002) transmitted the national direction of the party to Jorge Quiroga. (Source: El Debier, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 1 September 2005)
Ivan Sache, 14 Sep 2005


Podemos
Poder Democrático Social (Social Democratic Power)

Flag of Podemos
image by António Martins, 09 Apr 2006 | reconstruction

Poder Democrático Social, created by former President of the Republic Jorge “Tuto” Quiroga: The new alliance should use a red flag with the name of the party. (Source: El Debier, Santa Cruz de la Sierra, 1 September 2005)
Ivan Sache, 14 Sep 2005

The acronym of this party, "Podemos" (from Poder Democrático Social = Social Democratic Power), may be interpreted as the Spanish word "podemos", meaning "we can".
António Martins, 09 Apr 2006


Tradepa
Transformación Democrática Patriótica (Democratic Patriotic Transformation)

Flag of Tradepa
image by Ivan Sache, 14 Sep 2005 | reconstruction

Members of the armed forces of Bolivia have consituted a citizens’ group (agrupación ciudadana) called Transformación Democrática Patriótica (Tradepa) in order to take part to the Constituent Assembly. General Mario Zambrana, commander of the Second Division of the Army, said that the armed force represetn an important component of the society and have to take part to the Constituent Assembly. All citizens believing in their armed forces are invited to register with Tradepa. To be recognized by the Electoral National Court, the group needs to collect 56,000 signatures at the national level. The flag of Tradepa is red with a white disk in the middle, charged with the word Tradepa in blue letters. (Sources: La Patria Bolivia, 2 August 2005; RedBolivia, 3 August 2005)
Ivan Sache, 14 Sep 2005


United Left / Izquierda Unida

Flag of Izquierda Unida
image by Jorge Candeias, 26 Jun 1999

The flag of Izquerda Unida (United Left) party / coalition is a horizontal tricolour of yellow red and green with the symbol centered, which consists of the bolivian map in white outlined black containing the letters "IU" in red, except the dot of the "I", which is yellow with a green ring, and the name below in yellow: "IZQUIERDA UNIDA". The overall proportions are about 1:2. This flag is obviously based on the 1826 bolivian flag. Speculating a bit, I’d say that it has something to do with the wish for a connection with revolution and revolutionnary movements as part of the world’s left-wing immaginary.
Jorge Candeias, 26 Jun 1999

The party website is at www.bolivian.com/iu.
Dov Gutterman, 05 Nov 1998


Revolution / Pacha Kuti

Pacha Kuti #1
image by António Martins, 22 Nov 1998

This party is indeed amerindian based and the complete name is Eje Pacha Kuti — "eje" meaning "axis" and "pacha kuti" is an aymara word meaning a change between two phases of a cycle — "revolution" in it’s broader, cosmogonic sense. There is also another flag at the site, red over black with yellow star and lettering "pacha kuti" bellow, in a squarish face. This flag follows a distinctly anarchist / communist pattern.
António Martins, 11 May 1999 and 22 Nov 1998

The party website is at www.bolivian.com/eje.
Dov Gutterman, 05 Nov 1998

variant

Pacha Kuti #2
image by António Martins, 11 May 1999

There is also a variant which is red over black with a yellow star in the center and the party name in big yellow letters below the star on the yellow stripe.
Dov Gutterman, 23 Nov 1998


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