The Bolivian Middle Class

These series of photographs, all shot in the city of La Paz, Bolivia help to shed light on the manner and quality in which the middle and upper class of Bolivia live. El Mercado Roberto Rodriguez is La Paz’s largest food market, and it is here that many of the city’s middle-class acquire their food. Here you can find caseras (vendors) selling a variety of foods: mounds of orange mandarin oranges, heaps of green beans, bunches of broccoli and cauliflower, fishes ranging in size and various types of meat. Buyers walk around talking to vendors, asking for their yapita (bonus/addition to their purchase) before placing their purchases in huge plastic tote bags and wandering off to the next stall. While this market is open the entire week, its busiest days are Saturdays and Sundays when most people come to do their weekly purchases.

The neighborhoods of Obrajes, San Miguel and Achumani are all very well off and have become major commercial and financial sectors in addition to being residential areas. Banks, businesses, shops, malls and international firms are now common sights in these neighborhoods. New constructions can also be seen quite frequently, especially in Achumani where apartment buildings and mansions are being built on vast areas of property. The urbanization that La Paz has undergone can further be seen through the project “Mi Teleférico,” an aerial cable car system that officially started working in 2014. It currently has 3 functioning lines: yellow, red and green, with plans for more operating lines in the works. Not only does it help to connect various neighborhoods and alleviates the previous public transportation congestion, it also offers beautiful views of the city of La Paz.

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** Note:  This photoessay was written in Summer of 2015. As of the date of publication, “Mi Teleferico” has expanded to include 10 functioning lines (Red, Yellow, Green, Blue, Orange, White, Sky Blue, Purple, Brown and Silver) with an additional line (Gold) in the works.

If you liked this article, click here to read related articles from our issue on Bolivia!