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The flag of the patujú flower (Spanish: Bandera de la flor de patujú, Aymara: Patujú wiphala) is a flag used at official events of the Bolivia government, which shows Bolivia's national flower. The latter represents the indigenous peoples of Eastern Bolivia and has been used as a symbol of protest against the construction of a highway in TIPNIS by the opponents of Evo Morales in that area of the country.[2][3]
 | |
| Use | Civil flag and ensign normal |
|---|---|
| Proportion | 8:11 |
| Adopted | 2013 (Santa Cruz Department) 2014 (Beni Department) 2018 (La Paz Department) 2019 (officially adopted by national government) |
| Design | Patujú Flower in 45° degrees |
| Designed by | Remberto Justiniano Cujuy Aldemir Saldaña Mole Julio Ribera Paniagua[1] |
 | |
| Use | popular version in Beni, Santa Cruz and La Paz low lands |
The Patujú flag was created in 2009 by indigenous leaders and an indigenous pastoral director to represent the indigenous peoples of the lowlands of Bolivia as an alternative to the Wiphala flag of the Andes, which represents the Andean-Vallunian peoples of Bolivia. The white background represents Amazonian wisdom (in the Mojeño worldview) and the Patujú flower is a noble symbol of the region. The actual design of the flower with leaf was an artistic creation based on nature.
Remberto Justiniano Cujuy, Aldemir Saldaña Mole, leaders of the Central de Pueblos Indígenas del Beni (CPIB) and Julio Ribera Paniagua, Director of the Pastoral Indígena del Vicariato del Beni, created the Patujú Flag, as a national symbol of the native peoples of the lowlands, as an alternative to the Wiphala. It was created on August 10 and premiered on August 15, 2009 in commemoration of the March for Territory and Dignity of 1990.[4]
Félix Melgar Gualujna was in charge of making the first flags.
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With the demonstrations against the construction of a road in Indigenous Land and Isiboro-Secure National Park (TIPNIS) in 2011 and 2012 came the idea of representing eastern Bolivia with the flower of patujú,[5] and the flag was present in these demonstrations.[6][7][8] However, it did not have official representation in public events at national level, not even an exclusive design. However, in 2013, it started to be used in the Santa Cruz Department,[9][10] in 2014 in the Beni Department and in 2018 in the La Paz Department.
Thus, the president of the Confederation of Indigenous People of Eastern Bolivia (CIDOB), Adolfo Chávez Beyuma, popularized this flag together with Antonio Soto Guatara[11] as a national symbol of the native peoples of the lowlands, alleging that they do not feel identified with the Wiphala.[3]
We don't know the wiphala, but we respect very much that our brothers from the highlands use it
— Adolfo Chávez, president of the Confederation of Indigenous People of Eastern Bolivia (CIDOB)
On June 14, 2013, the Departmental Assembly of Santa Cruz passed a law declaring the flag of the patujú flower as a departmental symbol. The norm indicates that the symbol was to fly in every official act that takes place in the region, it also declares February 26 as "day of the flag of the patujú flower".
On April 2, 2014, the Departmental Assembly of Beni recognizes and declares the Patujú flag as an official symbol of the department, also established August 15, as the day of the Patujú flag, in commemoration of the date of the departure of the first indigenous march "for territory and dignity" in 1990.
On November 20, 2018, the Departmental Assembly of La Paz, creates a variant of the flag with the name of “Flag of the lowland indigenous native peasant nations and peoples of the Department of La Paz”, this is white with green borders. The 15th of August was established as the day of homage to the flag.
In 2018, Celin Adalid Quenevo, departmental assemblyman of La Paz, asserted that the first time the indigenous people raised the patujú flower was in 1990, during the march of the native indigenous peasant peoples of the north of the department of La Paz.
During the government of Jeanine Áñez the flag was used next to the two flags of state institutions in Palacio Quemado and those in official acts with a new and exclusive design.[12][13][14][15]
With the inauguration of Luis Arce as president of Bolivia on November 8, 2020, the patujú flower will no longer be used in official acts, something that was criticized by indigenous organizations from the eastern part of the country. However, since the inauguration of his government, Arce has been using the patujú flower on the presidential sash, along with the Bolivian coat of arms, the Wiphala and the Kantuta.
Previously, on October 28, Arce received the credentials that accredited him as President-elect, in this ceremony the Patujú flower flag was present in the background.
On November 19, 2020, after claims presented by indigenous organizations, the Bolivian Senate reinstated the use of the flag.
The flag was used informally in a political act of President Luis Arce in October 2023.
Rafael López Mercado proposed to present a bill for the flag to be recognized as a national symbol, before that he wanted to send it to the CIDOB for its socialization and consent by the indigenous people of the east.
On October 6, 2021, a group of MAS-IPSP deputies presented a bill for the flag of the patujú flower to be recognized as a national flag like the wiphala and the tricolor.
We as national deputies are presenting a bill that aims to honor and respect our national symbols and recognize as national flags, along with our highest national symbol, such as the national tricolor, the wiphala and the flower of the patujú.
— Deisy Choque, Congresswoman of the Movement Towards Socialism (MAS-IPSP)
In May 2023, a bill was introduced that contemplates the official recognition of the flag, already officially recognized by Bolivian eastern provinces. The bill was rejected.[16]
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