Memory Belongs to Everyone: Archives, History, and the Struggle for Water

In Bolivia’s Bicentennial Year, we also commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Water War, a historic event that took place in Cochabamba. This valley—largely dedicated to agriculture and livestock—is part of the country’s economic backbone and has faced ongoing challenges related to equal access to drinking water for decades.

One of the most iconic summaries of what occurred during the Water War appeared on the front page of a sensationalist newspaper, which declared: “Cochabamba inaugurates the new millennium fighting for water.” And it was all true. At the start of the 2000s, Cochabamba rose up against the privatization of its potable water service. For months, agricultural producers known as regantes had been raising the alarm, but social unrest escalated when the first household bills arrived, showing a 300% increase in charges. The entire department was shaken. Citizens took to the streets in protest and faced brutal repression. Reports even emerged of snipers in civilian clothing shooting at demonstrators.

The actions of the so-called water warriors set a powerful precedent, establishing access to basic services as a human right. The Water War has since become a key case study in exploring the relationship between social conflict, environmental crises, and climate change—especially considering that the year 2000 began with a drought affecting several regions across Bolivia.

The Water War, along with the Gas War, also reshaped Bolivia’s political landscape over the past 25 years. Its impact has been so significant that it has inspired fictional and documentary portrayals such as Even the Rain, the Canadian documentary The Corporation, and the Bolivian documentary La Guerra del Agua en Cochabamba.

Wikimedistas de Bolivia and the Work with Family Archives

Through the Free Knowledge and Cultures initiative, Wikimedistas de Bolivia works to preserve and disseminate knowledge and culture by encouraging the creation of accessible, freely licensed content. As part of this effort, we launched the Tesoros Familiares (Family Treasures) project, where we developed a digitization workshop and a guide to help people recover personal and family photo archives.

This initiative led us to connect with the family of La Paz-based designer Daisy Wende, the relatives of renowned Santa Cruz singer Gladys Moreno, and journalist Antonio Abal, who donated nearly one hundred images capturing the Water War, the 1998 Aiquile earthquake, and other historic moments in Cochabamba.

Thanks to previous experience, the team was better equipped to properly handle these photographs and ensure all necessary permissions were obtained for scanning and sharing them. A dedicated volunteer supported the project by scanning each image at the highest resolution and editing them to preserve their analog grain while making them readable and appealing to eyes accustomed to digital aesthetics.

The Water War on Wikipedia and the Power of Visuals

The Water War article on Wikipedia outlines the main chronological stages of the conflict and recognizes the role of the Coordinadora del Agua y de la Vida—an important actor that still lacks its own article on the platform.

But how can such a major event in Bolivia’s recent history lack images that help convey its impact? That question led us to search for photographic records that would allow readers to fully grasp the involvement of the population, the phases of the conflict, the emerging leaders, and the aftermath of the Water War.

Along the way, we discovered that the images also helped debunk aspects of the so-called “official history.” At the time, it was claimed that only coca grower organizations were protesting, allegedly using the issue as a pretext and linking them to drug production in the Chapare region—an enduring stigma. But the photographs clearly tell a different story: people from diverse sectors of society participated, even expressing themselves through artistic forms of protest.

Beyond challenging misleading narratives, the images capture key moments such as: 

– Citizens voting in a self-organized referendum
– Burning of signs bearing the name of the private water company, Aguas del Tunari
– Occupations of government institutions
– Symbolic funeral processions for institutions seen as enemies of Cochabamba
– A wide range of protest graffiti throughout the city

The knowledge and historical memory of a country is a shared heritage. We hope this project inspires more families and individuals to donate photographs that offer new perspectives on past events and key figures—especially in a time when historical narratives are increasingly contested.

If you have a personal archive or family collection that you’d like to share to support free knowledge, please contact Wikimedistas de Bolivia at wikimedistas@gmail.com or reach out to us through our social media channels.