Wilma Alanoca
Wilma Alanoca Mamani (born 5 July 1978) is a Bolivian journalist and politician who served as the Minister of Cultures of Bolivia from 2017 to 2019 during the third government of President Evo Morales. She previously served as opposition councilor of the municipality of El Alto from 2015 to 2017 for the Movement for Socialism (MAS-IPSP), during the administration of mayor Soledad Chapetón.
Wilma Alanoca | |
|---|---|
 Wilma Alanoca in 2019 | |
| Minister of Cultures of Bolivia | |
| In office 23 January 2017 – 10 November 2019 | |
| President | Evo Morales |
| Preceded by | Marko Machicao |
| Succeeded by | Martha Yujra Apaza |
| Councilor of El Alto | |
| In office 1 June 2015 – 23 January 2017 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Wilma Alanoca Mamani 5 July 1978 La Paz, Bolivia |
| Political party | Movement for Socialism |
| Alma mater | Higher University of San Andrés |
| Occupation | Journalist, politician |
Biography
Early years
Wilma Alanoca was born on 5 July 1978 in La Paz, the youngest of four children of neighborhood leader Rosendo Alanoca and merchant Margarita Mamani.
She began her primary studies in La Paz in 1984. In 1990, when she was 12 years old, the Alanoca family moved to the city of El Alto. She continued her studies there, leaving high school in 1996.
She studied social communication at the Higher University of San Andrés (UMSA), graduating as a journalist in 2009.[1]
Professional career
Alanoca began her career in media in 2004, while still a university student, appearing on the Continental Radio program Compartiendo la tarde (Sharing the Afternoon). She then worked for a time at Radio Fides, on the program Radio en Vivo con el periodista Andrés Rojas before reading news on the Unitepc channel, and later on Paceñísima de Televisión (Canal 33). She was also on the state channel Bolivia TV with a small business program called Pymes y Mypes. Alanoca worked as a radio broadcaster on Radio Integración in El Alto, with her program Dos horas con Wilma (Two Hours with Wilma), as well as on El Alto's regional Canal 24 with the program Wilma y Usted (Wilma and You).[2] She also became the communications director of the COTEL company, although only for a short time.[3]
Political career
Councilor of El Alto (2015–2017)
In 2015, Alanoca declared herself a candidate of the MAS-IPSP led by Evo Morales. In March 2015, she was elected councilor in the opposition in the city of El Alto.[4] She was a member of the council from 2015 to 2017.
Minister of Cultures of Bolivia (2017–2019)
On 23 January 2017, President Evo Morales appointed Alanoca Minister of Cultures of Bolivia. Along with Mariana Prado (born 1982) and Ariana Campero (born 1986), she was one of the three youngest ministers of the third government of President Morales, who made an effort to renew his cabinet with the inclusion of new generations.[5]
Return to politics
On 29 December 2020, it was announced that Alanoca would seek to be elected to her former position of Councilor of El Alto as the MAS candidate for the 2021 Bolivian regional elections.[6] However, her candidacy was challenged the day after by incumbent councilor Javier Tarqui on the grounds that she did not meet the residence requirements to run.[7] This is due to the fact that in order to run, candidates must have resided permanently for at least the two years immediately prior to the election in the corresponding jurisdiction. Tarqui posited that since Alanoca had been living in asylum for almost a year in the Mexican Embassy in La Paz which "for international standards [...] is constituted in Mexican territory, under Mexican sovereignty" she therefore had not been living in Bolivian territory for the mandated two years. Alanoca's candidacy was also challenged by members of MAS itself who did not want to run a former minister when, while she was in asylum, there were other people who had resisted the transitional government in El Alto.[7]
Controversies
On 1 March 2018, during the delivery of household gas in El Alto on the occasion of her anniversary, Minister Alanoca was verbally assaulted by President Morales.[8] He was harshly criticized by the population for denigrating women with the following phrase:
The people of El Alto are growing and growing, not only because they are cututus [rabbits]. I don't want to bother you; you have to ask Sister Minister [Wilma Alanoca] to contribute to populating El Alto – there is a deputy close by, I think.[9]
References
- Amoros Ramos, Sarai (24 January 2017). "Wilma Alanoca propone Cumbre de Culturas" [Wilma Alanoca Proposes Cultures Summit]. Abya Yala Digital (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- "'Wilma y usted' enseña la otra cara de El Alto" ['Wilma and You' Shows the Other Side of El Alto]. La Razón (in Spanish). 23 March 2011. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- Ortega, Erick (20 July 2014). "Wilma Alanoca: 'No soy una periodista amiga de quienes están en el poder'" [Wilma Alanoca: 'I am Not a Friendly Journalist to Those in Power']. La Razón (in Spanish). Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- "Lista de candidatos a Concejales de la alcaldía de El Alto por el MAS-IPSP" [List of Candidates for Councilors of the Mayor's Office of El Alto for the MAS-IPSP] (in Spanish). Radio Pachamama. 12 January 2015. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- "Wilma Alanoca Mamani es la nueva ministra de cultura de Bolivia" [Wilma Alanoca Mamani is the New Minister of Culture of Bolivia]. El Libertador (in Spanish). 26 January 2017. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- "El Alto: Wilma Alanoca es candidata a primera concejala por el MAS". www.paginasiete.bo (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- Bolivia, Opinión. "Concejal impugnará postulación de Wilma Alanoca por el requisito de residencia". Opinión Bolivia (in Spanish). Retrieved 8 January 2021.
- "Llueven críticas contra Morales por su 'chiste'" [Critics Railing Against Morales for His 'Joke']. Correo del Sur (in Spanish). 3 March 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
- "Evo pide a la ministra Alanoca que ayude a poblar El Alto" [Evo Asks Minister Alanoca to Help Populate El Alto]. Correo del Sur (in Spanish). 1 March 2018. Retrieved 6 October 2019.
