Vacas Municipality
Encyclopedia
Vacas Municipality is the second municipal section
of the Arani Province
in the Cochabamba Department
in central Bolivia
. Its capital is Vacas
known as the "Land of the potato" . During the Inca Empire
Vacas served as a tampu
along the Inca road system
that led to Inkallaqta and Pocona
.
It is bordered to the north by the Tiraque Province
, to the west by the Arani Municipality
, to the south by the Mizque Province
and to the southeast by the Carrasco Province, and it is sized 334 km².
The municipality is known for its lakes some of which belong to the largest ones in the Cochabamba Department, Parququcha
and Asiruqucha
, followed by Junt'utuyu, Qullpaqucha
, Pilawit'u
and Yanatama. There are some smaller rivers like Phaqcha river and Challwamayu and Turu warkhu is one of the waterfalls within the municipality. Prominent mountains are Kunturpuñuna, Khurupampa, P'allqaluma, Juch'uy Llallawa and Quturipunta.
, a gigantic, up to 10 m high plant which is considered to be a living fossile but also an endangered species, can be found. It was the French scientist Alcide d'Orbigny
(1802–1857) who was the first to discover the puya in the region of Vacas in 1830. Later the Italian biologist Antonio Raimondi
(1826–1890) discovered it in the region of Chavín de Huantar
during his trips to Peru. In Bolivia - apart from Vacas where these plants are spread on an area of about 1 km² - the only other place to find the Puya raimondii is Comanche mountain in the Caquiaviri Canton, Pacajes Province
, La Paz Department . The plants all use to grow on the eastern side of the mountains because they prefer having sun from morning until the middle of the afternoon.
The typical vegetation of this region also includes the following plants:
The last four thousand years of environmental and vegetation change has been recently reconstructed from the lake sediments of Pilawit'u (Lake Challacaba).
The Andean Goose
(Chloephaga melanoptera) is resident around the lakes in the Vacas Municipality. Viscacha
, culpeo
(Pseudalopex culpaeus), also known as the Andean Fox, skunk
, guinea pig
, owl
, falcon
, tinamou
(Tinamidae, Nothoprocta spp.) and viper
are typical representatives of the fauna.
with altitudes ranging from 3,400 m to 4,420 m, has a rural character. The peasants cultivate potatoes, wheat, barley, broad bean and oat. The fields are prepared with the help of yokes of oxen
. In addition, cows, sheep, pigs and hens are kept.
The people are predominantly indigenous
citizens of Quechuan
descent. In this place Andean
customs and the Quechua culture including the usage of Quechua
, a Native American language, still play an important part in daily life as well as in several other communities of the Cochabamba Department. According to census 2001 Quechua was spoken by 6,668 of the 12,511 residents of the municipality and Aymara
, another Native American language used in Bolivia, by 13 residents . Today many of the Quechua people here are bilingual
: They can communicate in Spanish, too. Yet the women are less accustomed to the Spanish language than the men. Many of them speak Quechua exclusively.
The latest results about the ethnic-linguistic composition of the population are as follows:
Regarding medical services there are five local health offices and one medical center available in the municipality now to promote the people's quality of life. At the time of census 2001 an average life expectancy
of only 52.9 years at birth was measured..
(ESFM), founded in 1916 as Escuela Normal "Ismael Montes",. It is a Teacher training college
. The ESFM puts an emphasis on bilingual education
which is practised during the students' teaching units in the schools of the nearby communities.
But some parents do not see why it is important that their children, and particularly their daughters, should attend school. The children's help is needed in the household and in the fields. For those who attend school the infrastructure of the classrooms is not always sufficient and the distances between house and school demand long and arduous walks.
Illiteracy is still high, especially among women. In 2001 54.5% of the women being 19 years old and more were illiterate and 19.8% of the men. On an average the inhabitants of the Vacas Municipality being 19 years old and more have attended school for 3.23 years (women: 2.24 years, men: 4.38 years) .
The number of pupils attending the different types of schools is shown below.
transmission on medium wave allows a distribution of news to various neighbouring municipalities and provinces. So even the people in the Arani Province
, Tiraque Province
, Pocona Municipality
and Alalay Municipality
can benefit from it. The programs are preferably broadcasted in the Quechua language because they are meant for the rural population. Presently Radio Chiwakali is on the air for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon .
s began on April 3 in 1936 when the colonos (workers with an intermediate status between slavery and freedom) of the hacienda
of Santa Clara monastery demanded to administer that land directly, whereas the administration had been in the hands of a priest until that moment. This was quite a radical proposal at that period of time because the colonos neither had the right to organize themselves nor to administer land. Nevertheless, the Trade Union of Agrarian Workers of Vacas (Sindicato de Trabajadores Agrarios de Vacas) was actually founded on December 20 in 1936. It was the second trade union in the Cochabamba Department.
In 1832 the Vacas Canton was created being part of the Mizque Province. In 1986 it became the second municipal section of the Arani Province.
Every year on December 4, combined with a couple of activities, the population of Vacas celebrates its anniversary of foundation and the feast of its patron Saint Barbara whose image is venerated with much devotion by the residents and people from abroad. The pilgrims come to worship and to ask their patron for little favours, especially for rain and the protection from lightning.
There is a traditional tale telling that many years ago Saint Barbara appeared as a shepherdess on the shore of Qucha Quchita. The people who arrived at this place attracked by the incident found a beautiful image of the saint which they carried to the village of Vacas. Because of this event Vacas was founded officially as Santa Bárbara de Bacas in the middle of the 17th century .
Municipalities of Bolivia
Municipalities in Bolivia are administrative divisions of the entire national territory governed by local elections. Municipalities are the third level of administrative divisions, below departments and provinces. Some of the provinces consist of only one municipality...
of the Arani Province
Arani Province
Arani is a province in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its capital is Arani, situated about 53 km from Cochabamba. Arani is known for its bread but also for the town's artisan wickerwork.- Subdivision :...
in the Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba Department
Cochabamba is one of the nine component departments of Bolivia. It is known to be the "granary" of the country because of its variety of agricultural products due to Cochabamba's geographical position. It has an area of 55,631 km². Its population, in the 2007 census, was 1,750,000...
in central Bolivia
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
. Its capital is Vacas
Vacas, Cochabamba
Vacas is a Bolivian village in the southeast of the Cochabamba Department. It is the capital of the Vacas Municipality, the second municipal section of the Arani Province...
known as the "Land of the potato" . During the Inca Empire
Inca Empire
The Inca Empire, or Inka Empire , was the largest empire in pre-Columbian America. The administrative, political and military center of the empire was located in Cusco in modern-day Peru. The Inca civilization arose from the highlands of Peru sometime in the early 13th century...
Vacas served as a tampu
Tambo (Incan structure)
A Tambo was an Incan structure built for administrative and military purposes. Found along Incan roads, tambos typically carried supplies, served as lodging for itinerant state personnel, and were depositories of quipu-based accounting records.Different types of tambos existed; those that served...
along the Inca road system
Inca road system
The Inca road system was the most extensive and advanced transportation system in pre-Columbian South America. The network was based on two north-south roads with numerous branches. The best known portion of the road system is the Inca Trail to Machu Picchu...
that led to Inkallaqta and Pocona
Pocona Municipality
Pocona Municipality is the third municipal section of Carrasco Province in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its seat is Pocona. At the time of census 2001 the municipality had 13,488 inhabitants.- Cantons :The municipality is divided into five cantons....
.
It is bordered to the north by the Tiraque Province
Tiraque Province
Tiraque is a province in the Cochabamba Department in central Bolivia. Its capital is Tiraque.- Subdivision :The province is divided into two municipalities which are further subdivided into cantons....
, to the west by the Arani Municipality
Arani Municipality
Arani Municipality is the first municipal section of the Arani Province in the Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its seat is Arani. At the time of census 2001 the municipality had 11,542 inhabitants....
, to the south by the Mizque Province
Mizque Province
Mizque is a province in the Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its capital is Mizque.The province, in 1992, had a population of 27,959 inhabitants, mostly indigenous citizens of Quechuan descent. In 2001, the population increased to 36,181 inhabitants and it was estimated at 41,062 in 2005...
and to the southeast by the Carrasco Province, and it is sized 334 km².
Geography
Parququcha
Parququcha is a Bolivian lake located in Vacas Municipality, Arani Province, Cochabamba Department.- External links :*...
and Asiruqucha
Asiruqucha (Cochabamba)
Asiruqucha is a Bolivian lake located in Vacas Municipality, Arani Province, Cochabamba Department.- External links :*...
, followed by Junt'utuyu, Qullpaqucha
Qullpaqucha
Qullpaqucha is a Bolivian lake located in Vacas Municipality, Arani Province, Cochabamba Department.- External links :*...
, Pilawit'u
Pilawit'u
Pilawit'u is a Bolivian lake located in Vacas Municipality, Arani Province, Cochabamba Department. The last four thousand years of environmental and vegetation change has been recently reconstructed from the lake sediments of Pilawit'u...
and Yanatama. There are some smaller rivers like Phaqcha river and Challwamayu and Turu warkhu is one of the waterfalls within the municipality. Prominent mountains are Kunturpuñuna, Khurupampa, P'allqaluma, Juch'uy Llallawa and Quturipunta.
Flora
In the surroundings of Vacas the famous Puya raimondiiPuya raimondii
Puya Raimondi, also known as Queen of the Andes is an endemic species of the altoandina zone of Bolivia and Peru, found at an altitude of 3200 – 4800 m...
, a gigantic, up to 10 m high plant which is considered to be a living fossile but also an endangered species, can be found. It was the French scientist Alcide d'Orbigny
Alcide d'Orbigny
Alcide Charles Victor Marie Dessalines d'Orbigny was a French naturalist who made major contributions in many areas, including zoology , palaeontology, geology, archaeology and anthropology....
(1802–1857) who was the first to discover the puya in the region of Vacas in 1830. Later the Italian biologist Antonio Raimondi
Antonio Raimondi
Antonio Raimondi was a prominent Italian-born Peruvian geographer and scientist. Born in Milan, Raimondi emigrated to Peru, arriving on July 28, 1850 at the port of Callao. In 1851 he became a professor of natural history...
(1826–1890) discovered it in the region of Chavín de Huantar
Chavín de Huantar
Chavín de Huántar is an archaeological site containing ruins and artifacts constructed beginning at least by 1200 BCE and occupied by later cultures until around 400-500 BCE by the Chavín, a major pre-Inca culture. The site is located north of Lima, Peru, at an elevation of , east of the...
during his trips to Peru. In Bolivia - apart from Vacas where these plants are spread on an area of about 1 km² - the only other place to find the Puya raimondii is Comanche mountain in the Caquiaviri Canton, Pacajes Province
Pacajes Province
Pacajes is a province in the Bolivian department of La Paz. Its capital is Coro Coro.- Subdivision :The province is divided into eight municipalities which are further subdivided into cantons.- External links :*...
, La Paz Department . The plants all use to grow on the eastern side of the mountains because they prefer having sun from morning until the middle of the afternoon.
The typical vegetation of this region also includes the following plants:
|
Rebutia Rebutia K. Schum. is a genus in the family Cactaceae, native to Bolivia and Argentina.It was designated in 1895 by Karl Moritz Schumann and named after Pierre Rebut , a French cactus nurseryman. The type species is R.minuscula, which has been in cultivation since 1887... sp.: Rebutia steinbachii Oca Oxalis tuberosa is an herbaceous perennial plant that overwinters as underground stem tubers. These tubers are known as oca, oka, or New Zealand Yam. The plant was brought into cultivation in the central and southern Andes for its tubers, which are used as a root vegetable... Oxalis tuberosa Polylepis Polylepis is a genus containing about twenty species of shrubs or trees native to the mid- and high-elevation regions of the tropical Andes. This group is unique in the rose family in that it is predominantly wind-pollinated. They are usually gnarled in shape, but in certain areas some trees are... Disocactus flagelliformis Disocactus flagelliformis or is a species of Cactaceae and is the most cultivated species in the genus. Due to its ease of cultivation and attractive floral displays, D. flagelliformis is often grown as an ornamental pot plant.... Disocactus flagelliformis, Eriocereus tephracanthus Willow Willows, sallows, and osiers form the genus Salix, around 400 species of deciduous trees and shrubs, found primarily on moist soils in cold and temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere... Salix sp. |
The last four thousand years of environmental and vegetation change has been recently reconstructed from the lake sediments of Pilawit'u (Lake Challacaba).
Fauna
Andean Goose
The Andean Goose, Chloephaga melanoptera, is a member of the duck, goose and swan family Anatidae. It is in the shelduck subfamily Tadorninae.It is resident around lakes and marshes in the high Andes, usually well above 3000 m...
(Chloephaga melanoptera) is resident around the lakes in the Vacas Municipality. Viscacha
Viscacha
Viscachas or vizcachas are rodents of two genera in the family Chinchillidae. They are closely related to chinchillas, and look similar to rabbits...
, culpeo
Culpeo
The culpeo , sometimes known as the culpeo zorro or Andean fox , is a South American species of wild dog. It is the second largest native canid on the continent after the maned wolf. In its appearance it bears many similarities to the widely recognized red fox...
(Pseudalopex culpaeus), also known as the Andean Fox, skunk
Skunk
Skunks are mammals best known for their ability to secrete a liquid with a strong, foul odor. General appearance varies from species to species, from black-and-white to brown or cream colored. Skunks belong to the family Mephitidae and to the order Carnivora...
, guinea pig
Guinea pig
The guinea pig , also called the cavy, is a species of rodent belonging to the family Caviidae and the genus Cavia. Despite their common name, these animals are not in the pig family, nor are they from Guinea...
, owl
Owl
Owls are a group of birds that belong to the order Strigiformes, constituting 200 bird of prey species. Most are solitary and nocturnal, with some exceptions . Owls hunt mostly small mammals, insects, and other birds, although a few species specialize in hunting fish...
, falcon
Falcon
A falcon is any species of raptor in the genus Falco. The genus contains 37 species, widely distributed throughout Europe, Asia, and North America....
, tinamou
Tinamou
The tinamous are a family comprising 47 species of birds found in Central and South America. One of the most ancient living groups of bird, they are related to the ratites. Generally ground dwelling, they are found in a range of habitats....
(Tinamidae, Nothoprocta spp.) and viper
Viperidae
The Viperidae are a family of venomous snakes found all over the world, except in Antarctica, Australia, Ireland, Madagascar, Hawaii, various other isolated islands, and above the Arctic Circle. All have relatively long, hinged fangs that permit deep penetration and injection of venom. Four...
are typical representatives of the fauna.
The People
Vacas, located in the Cono Sur (South cone) of CochabambaCochabamba
Cochabamba is a city in central Bolivia, located in a valley bearing the same name in the Andes mountain range. It is the capital of the Cochabamba Department and is the fourth largest city in Bolivia with an urban population of 608,276 and a metropolitan population of more than 1,000,000 people...
with altitudes ranging from 3,400 m to 4,420 m, has a rural character. The peasants cultivate potatoes, wheat, barley, broad bean and oat. The fields are prepared with the help of yokes of oxen
Yoke
A yoke is a wooden beam, normally used between a pair of oxen or other animals to enable them to pull together on a load when working in pairs, as oxen usually do; some yokes are fitted to individual animals. There are several types of yoke, used in different cultures, and for different types of oxen...
. In addition, cows, sheep, pigs and hens are kept.
The people are predominantly indigenous
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
citizens of Quechuan
Quechuas
Quechuas is the collective term for several indigenous ethnic groups in South America who speak a Quechua language , belonging to several ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Argentina.The Quechuas of Ecuador call themselves as well as their...
descent. In this place Andean
Andes
The Andes is the world's longest continental mountain range. It is a continual range of highlands along the western coast of South America. This range is about long, about to wide , and of an average height of about .Along its length, the Andes is split into several ranges, which are separated...
customs and the Quechua culture including the usage of Quechua
Quechua languages
Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably...
, a Native American language, still play an important part in daily life as well as in several other communities of the Cochabamba Department. According to census 2001 Quechua was spoken by 6,668 of the 12,511 residents of the municipality and Aymara
Aymara language
Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia...
, another Native American language used in Bolivia, by 13 residents . Today many of the Quechua people here are bilingual
Multilingualism
Multilingualism is the act of using, or promoting the use of, multiple languages, either by an individual speaker or by a community of speakers. Multilingual speakers outnumber monolingual speakers in the world's population. Multilingualism is becoming a social phenomenon governed by the needs of...
: They can communicate in Spanish, too. Yet the women are less accustomed to the Spanish language than the men. Many of them speak Quechua exclusively.
The latest results about the ethnic-linguistic composition of the population are as follows:
| Ethnic group | % |
|---|---|
| Quechua Quechuas Quechuas is the collective term for several indigenous ethnic groups in South America who speak a Quechua language , belonging to several ethnic groups in South America, especially in Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia and Argentina.The Quechuas of Ecuador call themselves as well as their... |
94.4 |
| Aymara | 0.2 |
| Guaraní, Chiquitos Chiquitos Chiquitos means "little ones" in Spanish. The Spanish Conquistadores chose this name for the people living in the rain savannas of what is now the eastern parts of the Santa Cruz Department in Bolivia, when they found the small doors of the Indian huts in the region.Today, this area is called Gran... , Moxos Moxos people The Moxos, also known as the Mojos, are an indigenous people living around the head-waters of the Madeira River in northern Bolivia, particularly on both banks of the Mamore River. They submitted to Inca domination, but in 1564 gallantly repulsed the Spaniards. A century later, however, the Jesuits... |
0.0 |
| Not indigenous Indigenous peoples of the Americas The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans... |
5.4 |
| Other indigenous groups | 0.1 |
| Language | Inhabitants |
|---|---|
| Quechua Quechua languages Quechua is a Native South American language family and dialect cluster spoken primarily in the Andes of South America, derived from an original common ancestor language, Proto-Quechua. It is the most widely spoken language family of the indigenous peoples of the Americas, with a total of probably... |
11,662 |
| Aymara Aymara language Aymara is an Aymaran language spoken by the Aymara people of the Andes. It is one of only a handful of Native American languages with over three million speakers. Aymara, along with Quechua and Spanish, is an official language of Peru and Bolivia... |
39 |
| Guaraní Guaraní language Guaraní, specifically the primary variety known as Paraguayan Guaraní , is an indigenous language of South America that belongs to the Tupí–Guaraní subfamily of the Tupian languages. It is one of the official languages of Paraguay , where it is spoken by the majority of the population, and half of... |
2 |
| Another native | 2 |
| Spanish Spanish language Spanish , also known as Castilian , is a Romance language in the Ibero-Romance group that evolved from several languages and dialects in central-northern Iberia around the 9th century and gradually spread with the expansion of the Kingdom of Castile into central and southern Iberia during the... |
4,236 |
| Foreign | 11 |
| Only native | 7,540 |
| Native and Spanish | 4,131 |
| Only Spanish | 106 |
Regarding medical services there are five local health offices and one medical center available in the municipality now to promote the people's quality of life. At the time of census 2001 an average life expectancy
Life expectancy
Life expectancy is the expected number of years of life remaining at a given age. It is denoted by ex, which means the average number of subsequent years of life for someone now aged x, according to a particular mortality experience...
of only 52.9 years at birth was measured..
Education
All types of schools are available in the Vacas Municipality. There is also an institute for higher education situated in the community of Challwamayu, the Escuela Superior de Formación de Maestros Ismael MontesIsmael Montes
Ismael Montes Gamboa was a Bolivian general and political figure. He served as the President of Bolivia between 1904 and 1909 and again between 1913 and 1917....
(ESFM), founded in 1916 as Escuela Normal "Ismael Montes",. It is a Teacher training college
Teacher training college
A teacher training college is a college of higher education that specialises in training students to be teachers.Many universities offer similar facilities, a number of which acquired their provision by taking over a teacher training college or by a teacher training college evolving into a...
. The ESFM puts an emphasis on bilingual education
Bilingual education
Bilingual education involves teaching academic content in two languages, in a native and secondary language with varying amounts of each language used in accordance with the program model.-Bilingual education program models:...
which is practised during the students' teaching units in the schools of the nearby communities.
But some parents do not see why it is important that their children, and particularly their daughters, should attend school. The children's help is needed in the household and in the fields. For those who attend school the infrastructure of the classrooms is not always sufficient and the distances between house and school demand long and arduous walks.
Illiteracy is still high, especially among women. In 2001 54.5% of the women being 19 years old and more were illiterate and 19.8% of the men. On an average the inhabitants of the Vacas Municipality being 19 years old and more have attended school for 3.23 years (women: 2.24 years, men: 4.38 years) .
The number of pupils attending the different types of schools is shown below.
| Year | Initial | Primary school | Secondary school | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2002 | 184 | 3,284 | 463 | 3,931 |
| 2003 | 145 | 3.157 | 515 | 3,817 |
| 2004 | 115 | 2,951 | 550 | 3,616 |
| 2005 | 127 | 2,881 | 639 | 3,647 |
| 2006 | 109 | 2,839 | 688 | 3,636 |
| 2007 | 91 | 2,401 | 718 | 3,210 |
Radio Chiwalaki
The idea of a farmers' radio awoke in 1987. The peasants themselves demanded more information, education and intercommunication. After three years, on September 1 in 1990, Radio Chiwalaki was inaugurated in the rural community of Misuk’ani, about two kilometres far from Vacas. The 1,000 wattWatt
The watt is a derived unit of power in the International System of Units , named after the Scottish engineer James Watt . The unit, defined as one joule per second, measures the rate of energy conversion.-Definition:...
transmission on medium wave allows a distribution of news to various neighbouring municipalities and provinces. So even the people in the Arani Province
Arani Province
Arani is a province in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its capital is Arani, situated about 53 km from Cochabamba. Arani is known for its bread but also for the town's artisan wickerwork.- Subdivision :...
, Tiraque Province
Tiraque Province
Tiraque is a province in the Cochabamba Department in central Bolivia. Its capital is Tiraque.- Subdivision :The province is divided into two municipalities which are further subdivided into cantons....
, Pocona Municipality
Pocona Municipality
Pocona Municipality is the third municipal section of Carrasco Province in Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its seat is Pocona. At the time of census 2001 the municipality had 13,488 inhabitants.- Cantons :The municipality is divided into five cantons....
and Alalay Municipality
Alalay Municipality
Alalay Municipality is the third municipal section of the Mizque Province in the Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its seat is Alalay.- Languages :The languages spoken in the Alalay Municipality are mainly Quechua and Spanish.- References :*...
can benefit from it. The programs are preferably broadcasted in the Quechua language because they are meant for the rural population. Presently Radio Chiwakali is on the air for three hours in the morning and three hours in the afternoon .
History
Vacas is one of the rural Bolivian communities of early rebellion. The forming of trade unionTrade union
A trade union, trades union or labor union is an organization of workers that have banded together to achieve common goals such as better working conditions. The trade union, through its leadership, bargains with the employer on behalf of union members and negotiates labour contracts with...
s began on April 3 in 1936 when the colonos (workers with an intermediate status between slavery and freedom) of the hacienda
Hacienda
Hacienda is a Spanish word for an estate. Some haciendas were plantations, mines, or even business factories. Many haciendas combined these productive activities...
of Santa Clara monastery demanded to administer that land directly, whereas the administration had been in the hands of a priest until that moment. This was quite a radical proposal at that period of time because the colonos neither had the right to organize themselves nor to administer land. Nevertheless, the Trade Union of Agrarian Workers of Vacas (Sindicato de Trabajadores Agrarios de Vacas) was actually founded on December 20 in 1936. It was the second trade union in the Cochabamba Department.
In 1832 the Vacas Canton was created being part of the Mizque Province. In 1986 it became the second municipal section of the Arani Province.
Festivities
- February or March: CarnivalCarnivalCarnaval is a festive season which occurs immediately before Lent; the main events are usually during February. Carnaval typically involves a public celebration or parade combining some elements of a circus, mask and public street party...
, Takipayanakus (variable date) - April: Fish, potato and crafts fair in Vacas (second or third Sunday).
- May 4: Santa Vera CruzTrue CrossThe True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a Christian tradition, are believed to be from the cross upon which Jesus was crucified.According to post-Nicene historians, Socrates Scholasticus and others, the Empress Helena The True Cross is the name for physical remnants which, by a...
Tatala in Vacas and Paredones - May 14: Saint IsidoreIsidore the LaborerIsidore the Laborer, also known as Isidore the Farmer, , was a Spanish day laborer known for his goodness toward the poor and animals. He is the Catholic patron saint of farmers and of Madrid and of La Ceiba, Honduras....
in Misuk'ani and Paredones - May or June: Corpus ChristiCorpus Christi (feast)Corpus Christi is a Latin Rite solemnity, now designated the solemnity of The Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ . It is also celebrated in some Anglican, Lutheran and Old Catholic Churches. Like Trinity Sunday and the Solemnity of Christ the King, it does not commemorate a particular event in...
in Vacas - June 29: Saint PeterSaint PeterSaint Peter or Simon Peter was an early Christian leader, who is featured prominently in the New Testament Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles. The son of John or of Jonah and from the village of Bethsaida in the province of Galilee, his brother Andrew was also an apostle...
in Vacas - July 16: Our Lady of Mount CarmelOur Lady of Mount CarmelOur Lady of Mount Carmel is the title given to the Blessed Virgin Mary in her role as patroness of the Carmelite Order. The first Carmelites were Christian hermits living on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land during the late 12th and early to mid 13th centuries...
, the patron saintPatron saintA patron saint is a saint who is regarded as the intercessor and advocate in heaven of a nation, place, craft, activity, class, clan, family, or person...
of Bolivia, in Vacas - August 2: Peasant Day in Challwamayu and Ch'allaqawa
- August 3: Our Lady of Copacabana in Challwamayu
- October 15: Anniversary of Vacas Municipality
- November 2: All Souls' Day (All SaintsAll SaintsAll Saints' Day , often shortened to All Saints, is a solemnity celebrated on 1 November by parts of Western Christianity, and on the first Sunday after Pentecost in Eastern Christianity, in honour of all the saints, known and unknown...
), Wayllunk'as. - December 4: Saint BarbaraSaint BarbaraSaint Barbara, , Feast Day December 4, known in the Eastern Orthodox Church as the Great Martyr Barbara, was an early Christian saint and martyr....
, Anniversary of Vacas.
Every year on December 4, combined with a couple of activities, the population of Vacas celebrates its anniversary of foundation and the feast of its patron Saint Barbara whose image is venerated with much devotion by the residents and people from abroad. The pilgrims come to worship and to ask their patron for little favours, especially for rain and the protection from lightning.
There is a traditional tale telling that many years ago Saint Barbara appeared as a shepherdess on the shore of Qucha Quchita. The people who arrived at this place attracked by the incident found a beautiful image of the saint which they carried to the village of Vacas. Because of this event Vacas was founded officially as Santa Bárbara de Bacas in the middle of the 17th century .
Villages
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Notable residents
- Pablo Fernández, composer, born in Vacas on June 29, 1954
- Ronald Rodríguez Clavijo, classical guitar soloist, born in Vacas on September 10, 1959
- Freddy Veizaga Siles, musician, born in Vacas
- Juan Carlos Rodriguez Clavijo, musician, born in Vacas on November 22, 1963, member of different folkloreFolkloreFolklore consists of legends, music, oral history, proverbs, jokes, popular beliefs, fairy tales and customs that are the traditions of a culture, subculture, or group. It is also the set of practices through which those expressive genres are shared. The study of folklore is sometimes called...
goups like: Inkallajta, Siembra, Kharkas, Proyección and other - Natividad Betty Veizaga SilesBetty VeizagaNatividad Betty Veizaga Siles is a Bolivian folk music musician.She can play the charango and the ronroco and sings mainly in Quechua....
, composer, singer and musician, born in Vacas on December 25, 1957, member of the group Pukaj Wayra since 1977
Literature
- A Revolution for our Rights - Indigenous Struggles for Land and Justice in Bolivia, 1880–1952, Excerpt online: page 72 ff