Arce and Choquehuanca receive the Andean New Year in Tiwanaku

The clear skies heralded not only a good morning, but also a productive year. Despite the cold, the ancestral ceremony progressed slowly, waiting for the first rays of sun. The aimara rites mark the custom of receiving this first light of the shortest day of the year, the winter solstice. The belief is that raising the palms of the hands in the direction of these rays receives the energy of the sun

This is how the Amazonian Andean New Year 5531 was welcomed. Among the little more than 200 attendees at the millenary event, the presence of President Luis Arce and Vice President David Choquehuanca stood out. Next to them was the president of the Chamber of Deputies, Jerges Mercado.

from very early, the amautas made the offering to the Pachamama. According to the ancient rite, the fire consumed the offering, a sign of good omen, according to the original traditions.

Little by little, the penumbra said before the first lights of the day. The sound of the pututus heralded the sunrise. It was 07.17 minutes. Arce, like the rest, received the first rays of solar energy with arms outstretched towards the “tata inti”, the sun.

In a brief speech before the attendees, the president started with Greetings in the original language. “Today our devotion to life, our devotion to nature,” explained the president.

It was a brief speech, just over a minute and a half. He highlighted the essence of this celebration. “It is a day to fill yourself with energy” and “ratify the commitment to work, that things go well for us”. And he concluded with a hopeful wish: “It’s a new year for everyone.”