Evo Morales
Politician

Juan Evo Morales Ayma, popularly known as Evo, is a Bolivian politician and activist, serving as President of Bolivia since 2006. Morales began his political career as a Cocalero trade union organizer. His administration has focused on the implementation of leftist policies, poverty reduction and combating the influence of the United States and transnational corporations in Bolivia. Born to an Aymara family of subsistence farmers in Isallawi, Orinoca Canton, Evo undertook a basic education before mandatory military service, in 1978 moving to Chapare Province. Growing coca, he joined the cocalero trade union, rising to prominence in the campesino union, campaigning against the United States and Bolivian government's attempts to eradicate coca as a part of the War on Drugs. Entering electoral politics in 1995, he became the leader of the Movement for Socialism, focusing on issues affecting indigenous and poor communities, advocating land reform and redistribution of gas wealth. Gaining increasing visibility through the gas conflict and the Cochabamba protests of 2000, in 2002 he was expelled from Congress, though he came second in that year's presidential election.

Marcelo Martins Moreno
Soccer

Marcelo Martins Moreno, is a Bolivian footballer. He currently plays for Flamengo, on loan from Grêmio, as well as the Bolivian national team. Although he is known as Marcelo Martins, he is called by his last name, Marcelo Moreno, in Brazil.

Andrés de Santa Cruz
Politician

Andrés de Santa Cruz y Calahumana was President of Peru and Bolivia. He also served as Supreme Protector of the short-lived Peru-Bolivian Confederation, a political entity created mainly by his personal endeavors.

Jaime Moreno
Soccer

Jaime Moreno Morales is a former Bolivian footballer now serving as Youth Academy Technical Training Coach for D.C. United in Major League Soccer, and as the head coach of D.C. United's U-23 side. Moreno was the all-time leading scorer in Major League Soccer at the time of his retirement. On 22 August 2007, in a match against the New York Red Bulls, he scored his 109th MLS goal, surpassing the previous league record set by former Dallas Burn and Real Salt Lake forward Jason Kreis. On 17 April 2009, Moreno became the first MLS player ever to reach the mark of 100 goals and 100 assists when he assisted on a Ben Olsen stoppage time goal.

Cornelio Saavedra
Politician

Cornelio Judas Tadeo de Saavedra y Rodríguez was a military officer and statesman from the Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. He was instrumental in the May Revolution, the first step of Argentina's independence from Spain, and was appointed president of the Primera Junta. Saavedra was the first commanding officer of the Regiment of Patricians created after the ill-fated British invasions of the Río de la Plata. The increased militarization of the city and the relaxation of the system of castas allowed him, as other criollo peoples, to become a prominent figure in local politics. His intervention was decisive to thwart the Mutiny of Álzaga and allow Viceroy Santiago de Liniers to stay in power. Although he supported the establishment of a government Junta, as others created in Spain during the contemporary Peninsular War, he desired that criollos had an important role in it. He advised against rushed actions as well, and as his Regiment was crucial in any action against the viceroy, he denied his help until it was a good strategic moment to do so. The opportunity came in May, 1810, and the May Revolution successfully ousted the viceroy.

Verona Pooth
Presenter

Verona Pooth is a German television personality, beauty pageant winner, and an occasional actress. In 1993, she was Miss Germany and Miss Intercontinental and represented Germany at the Miss Universe contest. She received the German "Bambi" media prize in 2004 and 2006. In 2004 she married Franjo Pooth, a German entrepreneur. They have two sons, San Diego and Rocco Ernesto..

Marco Etcheverry
Soccer Midfielder

Marco Antonio Etcheverry Vargas is a retired Bolivian footballer, considered one of the greatest Bolivian players of all time.

Víctor Paz Estenssoro
Politician

Ángel Víctor Paz Estenssoro was a politician and president of Bolivia. He ran for president 8 times, winning in 1951, 1960, 1964, and 1985.

Juana Azurduy de Padilla
Military Person

Juana Azurduy Bermudez was a Latin American guerilla military leader. She was born on July 12, 1780 or 1781 in the town of Chuquisaca, Viceroyalty of the Río de la Plata. She was Mestizo by ethnicity meaning she was half European and half indigenous. “Her mother married into a family of property” meaning she married into a more wealth family. Her father however was killed by Spaniards, and the killer apparently got away without any repercussions. She grew up in Chuquisaca and at the age of 12 joined a convent to become a nun. She was eventually expelled at the age of 17 because she rebelled far too often. She married Manuel Ascencio Padilla in 1805, a man who shared her love of the indigenous populations in Bolivia. She spoke the indigenous languages Quechua and Aymara.

Túpac Katari
Deceased Person

Túpac Katari or Catari, born Julián Apasa Nina, was a leader in the rebellions of indigenous people of Bolivia against the Spanish Empire in the early 1780s. A member of the Aymara, Apasa took the name "Tupac Katari" to honor two rebel leaders: Tomás Katari, and Túpac Amaru II. He raised an army of some 40,000 and laid siege to the city of La Paz in 1781. Katari and his wife, Bartolina Sisa set up court in El Alto and maintained the siege for 184 days, from March to June and from August to October. Sisa was a commander of the siege, and played the crucial role following Katari's capture in April. The siege was broken by colonial troops who advanced from Lima and Buenos Aires. Katari laid siege again later in the year, this time joined by Andrés Túpac Amaru, nephew of Túpac Amaru II. But Katari was again unsuccessful. Despite his subsequent betrayal, defeat, torture, and execution, Túpac Katari is remembered as a hero by modern indigenous movements in Bolivia, who call themselves Katarismo. A Bolivian guerrilla group, the Tupac Katari Guerrilla Army, also bears his name..

Ximena Herrera
TV Actor

Ximena Herrera is a Bolivian-born Mexican actress. She has participated in telenovelas such as La madrastra and Corazones al límite. She is married to Alex Sirvent.

Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada
Politician

Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada y Sánchez de Bustamante, familiarly known as "Goni", is a Bolivian politician, businessman, and former President of Bolivia. A lifelong member of the Movimiento Nacionalista Revolucionario, he is credited for using "shock therapy", the economic theory championed by then Harvard University economist Jeffrey Sachs. This measure was used by Bolivia in 1985 to cut hyperinflation from an estimated 25,000% to a single digit within a period of 6 weeks. More broadly, he is credited with having engineered the restructuring of the Bolivian state and the dismantling the state-capitalist model that had prevailed in the country since the 1952 Revolution. Sánchez de Lozada was twice elected President of Bolivia, both times on the MNR ticket. During his first term, he initiated a series of landmark social, economic and constitutional reforms. Elected to a second term in 2002, he resigned and went into exile in the United States of America in October 2003 after violent protests related to the Bolivian gas conflict in which some 60 protesters, soldiers and policemen died. In March 2006, he resigned the leadership of the MNR. Bolivia has unsuccessfully been seeking his extradition from the US to stand trial for the events of 2003.

Jaime Escalante
Teacher

Jaime Alfonso Escalante Gutierrez was a Bolivian educator well known for teaching students calculus from 1974 to 1991 at Garfield High School, East Los Angeles, California. Escalante was the subject of the 1988 film Stand and Deliver, in which he is portrayed by Edward James Olmos.

Álvaro García Linera
Politician

Álvaro Marcelo García Linera is a Bolivian politician who has been Vice President of Bolivia since 2006.

Carlos Mesa
Politician

Carlos Diego Mesa Gisbert is a historian and former Vice President of Bolivia August 2002 to October 2003 President of Bolivia, holding office from October 17, 2003 until his resignation on June 6, 2005. Mesa was previously a popular television journalist and personality, known by many for his rectitude and impartiality. His widespread recognition prompted the MNR candidate Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada to pick him as running mate in the 2002 Bolivian presidential elections. The winning ticket of Sánchez-Mesa took possession on August 6, 2002. As Vice-President, Mesa was quickly caught between the proverbial rock and hard place, as a wave of protests and strikes shut down Bolivia in a bitter dispute known as the Bolivian Gas War. The demonstrations eventually forced Sánchez de Lozada to resign and leaving Mesa as President of the Republic.

Jaime Laredo
Violinist

Jaime Laredo is a violinist and conductor. Currently the conductor and Music Director of the Vermont Symphony Orchestra, he began his musical career when he was five years old. In 1948 he came to North America and took lessons from Antonio DeGrass. He also studied with Frank Houser before moving to Cleveland, Ohio, to study under Josef Gingold in 1953. He studied with Ivan Galamian at the Curtis Institute of Music until his graduation. From 1960 to 1974 he was married to the pianist Ruth Laredo. Laredo is currently a professor at the renowned Indiana University Jacobs School of Music. He served as artistic advisor for the Fort Wayne Philharmonic Orchestra and guest conducted the orchestra on April 18, 2009, in a program featuring his wife, the cellist Sharon Robinson. He was scheduled to again conduct the orchestra for two programs during the 2009-10 season. Laredo and Robinson were also featured soloists in a special concert conducted by Andrew Constantine, who became the Philharmonic's music director in July 2009. His Carnegie Hall recital in October 1960 was much praised, and helped to launch his career. The next year, he played at Royal Albert Hall in London. Afterwards, he has played with many major European and American orchestras, including the Boston Symphony Orchestra, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, the New York Philharmonic, the Cleveland Orchestra, the Philadelphia Orchestra, the London Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Philharmonic, The Children's Orchestra Society and the Syracuse Symphony Orchestra.