Ground Report

Per Earth Times, Bolivia celebrates the 200th anniversary of the country’s uprising against Spanish colonial rule. Two rival ceremonies were held on Monday. Leftist President Evo Morales and his supporters celebrated in the town of El Villar, while the opposition party held festivities in Sucre, per the article.

Users tweeted descriptions of celebrations in Sucre:

1. phillegitimate (Sucre, Bolivia) Sucre’s bicentennial celebrations are a cacophony of duelling bands, errant fireworks and traffic horns frustrated by all the roadblocks.. 24 May 2009 from web
2. Alex_AlvBel (Sucre, Bolivia) i just saw like a BUNCH of fireworks at like 00:00 The 200 aniversary of the begining of the first latin american revolution 25 May 2009 from web
3. phillegitimate (Sucre, Bolivia) Endless parades – some of twenty people, some of thousands – snake around Sucre’s central plaza, all keeping time to the same tired songs… 25 May 2009 from web

A few Twitter users noted Bolivia’s recent struggles in spite of the festivities:

1. sergioovando (Bolivia) Bolivia celebrates today the bicentennial of the continent’s first cry for freedom in Sucre, just at the time when liberty is under siege 26 May 2009 from TwitterBerry
2. phillegitimate (Sucre, Bolivia) One year ago racist thugs attacked indigenous people in the centre of Sucre. One year later thousands of indigenas descend on the city… 24 May 2009 from web