«The Virgen de Copacabana can handle anything». To the phrase spoken by a resident of Ofra, in Santa Cruz, yesterday morning, it should also be added that the patroness of Bolivia also overcomes the heat and the alerts.
This is demonstrated by their children, members of the community from the Andean country in Tenerife, attending the church of San Antonio de Padua in Las Retamas in the morning to honour her. By the afternoon, they return to give their all during the celebration at a restaurant in the south of the island, showcasing the rhythm of their dances and the colourful traditional costumes from La Paz, Cochabamba, Sucre….
The Flag
An arch of flowers with the flag of Bolivia at the top presides over the entrance to the church. Inside, to the right, is the image of the Virgen de Copacabana. In the adjacent square bearing her name, Father Antonio Gómez Santos receives Bishop Eloy Santiago at the prologue of the ceremony. Santiago Díaz, councillor for the Ofra-Costa Sur district, also represents the City Council of Santa Cruz.
The Mass
The flower bouquets placed at the foot of the virgin precede the mass. The heat alert prevents the subsequent parade through the surrounding streets, but that also allows them to save their energy for the afternoon session at the Xandu restaurant in Las Chafiras, in the south. Slowly, people overcome the morning laziness on a sweltering Saturday, and Bolivians in particular enter the church, which is full by noon. There is no parade, but there are plumes, hats, waistcoats, and uniforms in abundant green, the colour of the flag. This is all captured by workers from Producciones Únicas. Like Nicolás, with Peruvian roots, who explains: «We have been recording various Latino events for a decade, especially 15-year ceremonies for the girls».
The Couple
Lourdes Espinosa and Agustín Jerez have been a couple for 17 years. She, Bolivian, from Corcapirua in the province of Cochabamba –“it’s called a department,” she points out – and he, Canarian, from La Gomera and El Toscal. They embody the strength that comes from time passed together and overcoming cultural differences. Agustín takes Lourdes to dance in the south and then returns to the capital.
The Gathering
Outside the parish, a gathering takes place among members of the community in Tenerife, reaching 2,000 people, 5,000 across Canarias. Reynaldo Aguilar has been in Tenerife for 25 years. He identifies himself as a chicharrero Bolivian. A small construction entrepreneur, he acts as a spokesperson for the Bolivian Association. He emphasizes: “There isn’t an exact figure; we might actually be a few more because there are people registered as Argentinians, but they are children of Bolivians.” They live all over the island, primarily in the Metropolitan Area and the South. Aguilar highlights that “many colleagues are in the process of becoming self-employed.”
The Virgin
The Virgen de Copacabana unites them all in the first week of August. They point out, “it is always the same Virgin Mary as that of Urkupiña, the Bolivian Candelaria, which they celebrate next Saturday as is traditional in the vicinity of the Fátima church in the capital’s Salamanca neighbourhood. They hope to be able to march through the streets then.
The Appointment
They all agree on the importance of this appointment because “it is the only time we all meet, coming from different parts of the island.” This is the case for Wilber Juchani, who lives in Santa Cruz. In fact, this 31-year-old civil engineer was born here “where my parents arrived 30 years ago.” He is part of a second generation. There is already a third, evident in the teenagers and children passing through.
The Festival
Lourdes Escalera is a veteran who carries the dance and her native Cochabamba in her blood. She is almost dressed for the afternoon session now. She notes: “I also live in Santa Cruz.” She emphasizes: “We are very Christian, very much part of the Catholic Church. And we love to dance because we melt when we do.” This cleaner, with 20 years in Tenerife, is part of the Pujllay group, one of the 21 that will showcase their best repertoire in the south in the afternoon. In this case, “a tradition from Sucre.” Right next to her is Edwin Poma, also with two decades on the island. He is a taxi driver in Santa Cruz and was a goldsmith in his country. He proudly claims to be part of the La Morenada group, which is divided into two: Morenada Fanáticos and Morenada Intocables. There are names to suit every taste. Just a few examples: Rompe Monteras, Tobas Bolivia, Ositos Cochabamba, Caporales Kantuta, Diablada de Sucre… The afternoon is reserved for the celebration of everyone organised by the past prestes, a kind of godparents, Alfonso Menacho and Cecilia Rojas, who hand over the baton for the next year in homage to the national holidays of Bolivia at the Xandu Restaurant. Amidst dances and songs, there are several moments of solemnity: the remembrance of the 200th anniversary of independence, a minute’s silence in respect for compatriots who have passed away in Tenerife, or the collective singing of the national anthem.
The Image
The interviewees agree that the integration of the community on the island “is very good.” They insist on wanting to “share our culture with all the people from any part of the neighbourhood and the city who have opened the door to us.” Bolivia is always in their hearts, and they have all returned periodically, but this is their home and their life. They are celebrating the second year of honouring the Patroness at San Antonio de Padua. They have done this before, for example, in Los Baldíos (La Laguna). In total, there are 21 as they hold their festival in Tenerife.
The Geography
From La Paz, the capital, to the West, from Potosí, to the South, or from Cochabamba, in the centre of the only landlocked country in South America, along with Paraguay. But above all, Bolivians united in the worship of the Virgen de Copacabana. Without political colours and with the goal of becoming a federation across all of Canarias. This would give them more strength, and, for instance, they could have voted in the upcoming presidential elections on Sunday the 17th. This is not possible, despite efforts with the consulate and the chancellery: “They have told us that we are too few, and there is no budget to send people to do the biometric statistics to identify each one. Voting will only be possible in larger capitals like Madrid and Barcelona.”
The Recommendation
Father Antonio closes the mass by asking them to be careful with the heat and the roads. The Bolivian community travels from the south in the morning to the evening. And next Saturday the 16th, the festival returns with another virgin, that of Urkupiña.
