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A Colorful Bolivian Bastion, Floating Above It All

Media Outlet: 

New York Times

In the sprawling, bustling, fast-growing city of El Alto, Bolivia, urban, Andean versions of the suburban McMansion rise incongruously above much poorer dwellings, reflecting the economic growth that Bolivia has been able to achieve in recent years. But rather than stir widespread resentment in this bastion of rebellious politics, these open displays of wealth are often embraced. “El Alto is simultaneously the most revolutionary city, perhaps in all of Latin America, at the same time as it’s the most neoliberal city, the most individualistic city in all of Latin America,” said Benjamin H. Kohl, an associate professor of urban studies at Temple.