The face of one of Bolivia‘s Indigenous icons will soon appear on the 10 boliviano bill, making history as female warrior Gregoria Apaza becomes the first Indigenous woman to be pictured on Bolivian currency.
“This year we will start issuing the new family of bank notes,” said Raul Mendoza, an advisor to theBolivian Central Bank (BCB), noting that the Apaza bill we be in circulation as of April.
The 18-century heroine made her name leading a siege in La Paz against Spanish colonial soldiers. Apaza’s brother, Tupac Katari (Julian Apaza), joined his sister in uniting Indigenous people of the Aymaran community in defense of their land in 1781.
Although the image of an unknown Indigenous person did appear on the 100,000 Bolivian peso, Apaza stands out as the first female Indigenous warrior to be recognized in a such a way.
According to Bolivian President Evo Morales, an Aymara community member, she is just the first of a series of Indigenous icons destined to be pictured on other bank notes.
The 20 and 50 Bolivian bills will be redesigned and ready for recirculation in July and October; the 100 and 200 bolivianos will appear in January and April of 2019. These, Mendoza said, will be made of cotton and match in color and size to previous bills already being used across the country.
Source: telesurtv
