Jorge Medina
Jorge Medina | |
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Member of the Chamber of Deputies from La Paz's special circumscription | |
In office 19 January 2010 – 18 January 2015 | |
Substitute | Blanca Cartagena |
Preceded by | Seat established |
Succeeded by | Alicia Natte |
Personal details | |
Born | Jorge Medina Barra 24 April 1968 Movement for Socialism |
Alma mater |
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Occupation |
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Website | Official website |
Jorge Medina Barra (Spanish: [ˈxoɾxe meˈðina]; 24 April 1968 – 23 November 2022) was a Bolivian civil rights activist and politician who served as a member of the Chamber of Deputies from La Paz, representing its special indigenous circumscription from 2010 to 2015.
Raised in the
Having succeeded in securing the inclusion of Afro-Bolivians in the 2009 Constitution, Medina was later elected to represent La Paz's minority indigenous peoples in the Chamber of Deputies, becoming the first Afro-Bolivian to serve in either chamber of the Bolivian legislature. In parliament, Medina spearhead Bolivia's flagship Law Against Racism and promoted other pro-Afro pieces of legislation. He was not nominated for reelection.
Early life and career
Jorge Medina was born on 24 April 1968 to Paulino Medina and Sergia Barra, an
Activism and organizational leadership
Medina's entry into the Afro-Bolivian civil rights movement was precipitated by his early experiences residing in La Paz, a city "devoid of Afro-Bolivians ... [where] it was not uncommon for other Bolivians to be oblivious to the existence of black people". Recognition of the Afro-Bolivian population was niche, limited in academia to Western scholars studying the African diaspora. Their presence in public often promoted racial discrimination, including physical harassment, due to the superstitious belief that pinching a black person would bring good luck.[4] "It was 'lucky negro'; they surrounded us ... and fought among themselves over who saw us first", Medina recalled.[5]
Starting from the late 1980s, Medina became active in promoting the saya, a style of Afro-Bolivian folk songs mixed with drums, which the Afro movement had begun using to generate cultural visibility. During this time, Medina also distinguished himself as a popular saya composer and performer in his own right, writing the songs "Flor de Alelí", "Ser Líder de un Grupo", and "Guarachera de Cuba", among others.[6][7] Along with other activists, Medina founded the Afro-Bolivian Saya Cultural Movement (MOCUSABOL) in 1988, which became one of the country's leading Afro-Bolivian civil rights and awareness organizations.[8][9] He served as vice president and later president of the body for five years between 1999 and 2004.[10]
Despite MOCUSABOL's successes in spreading the saya's popularity, Medina soon grew frustrated with the growing perception that Afro-Bolivians were just "'the negros who dance.' That made me angry because we are not only good at dancing we can do other things", he stated.
Chamber of Deputies
Election
With minority groups increasingly encouraged to participate in politics, Medina was nominated to contest a seat in the
Tenure
As a parliamentarian, Medina was instrumental in drafting what became the
For the duration of his tenure, Medina continuously worked to promote the recognition of the Afro-Bolivian population. He facilitated the passage of numerous symbolic laws recognizing Afro culture, including one declaring 23 September to be the National Day of the Afro-Bolivian People and another establishing the saya as part of the country's cultural heritage.[23][24] The 2012 census was held midway through Medina's term, a notable event, as it was the first time the government had ever tabulated the Afro-Bolivian population in its history.[25] Using this data, Medina put forward the concept of creating a majority Afro-Bolivian municipality to give greater electoral representation to its inhabitants, though the concept never got off the ground.[26] Upon the conclusion of his term in 2015, Medina retired from politics and returned to the direction of CADIC.[2]
Commission assignments
- Rural Native Indigenous Peoples and Nations, Cultures, and Interculturality Commission (President; 2011–2012)[27]
- Rural Native Indigenous Peoples and Nations Committee (2010–2011)[28]
- Plural Economy, Production, and Industry Commission
- Industry, Commerce, Transport, and Tourism Committee (2012–2013)[29]
- Social Policy Commission
- Social Security and Protection Committee (2013–2014)[30]
- Planning, Economic Policy, and Finance Commission
- Financial, Monetary, and Insurance Policy Committee (Secretary; 2014–2015)[31]
Personal life and death
Medina married Miriam Iriondo, an ethnic Afro-Bolivian saya performer from Chulumani in the Sud Yungas Province. The couple had two children: Adin Dube and Malaika, Swahili names meaning "strength and passion" and "angel", respectively.[13] His relative, Tomasa Medina, also gained notoriety in the Afro-Bolivian community, though as an opponent of the MAS and its efforts to expand its influence over the Yungas-based coca market.[32] Outside of his work at MOCUSABOL and CADIC, Medina was also active in radio, hosting the talk show Raíces Africanas, which began airing in 2001. In film, he starred as a supporting actor in 2005's American Visa.[17] Medina died on 23 November 2022, aged 54. His passing was commemorated by various Afro-Bolivian organizations and by the Chamber of Deputies.[33][34]
Electoral history
Year | Office | Party | Votes | Result | Ref. | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Total | % | P. | ||||||
2009 | Deputy | Movement for Socialism
|
13,283 | 91.97% | 1st | Won | [35] | |
Source: Plurinational Electoral Organ | Electoral Atlas |
References
Notes
- ^ The nomination had been initially granted to ex-footballer Demetrio Angola, to the chagrin of Medina's supporters.[15] Ultimately, Angola was forced to withdraw his candidacy, given that he was in active military service.[16]
Footnotes
- ^ a b Vargas & Villavicencio 2014, p. 98.
- ^ a b c Mealla, Luis (23 November 2022). "Fallece el exdiputado Jorge Medina, impulsor de la Ley Contra el Racismo" [Former Deputy Jorge Medina, Driving Force of the Law Against Racism, Dies]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Gonzales Salas 2013, p. 226; Romero Ballivián 2018, p. 360.
- ^ a b c Hylton-Pennant, Olivia (5 October 2015). "A New Era for the Afro-Bolivian?". Bolivian Express. La Paz. Archived from the original on 30 November 2015. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Atahuichi López, Rubén D. (22 September 2013). "En Bolivia hay discriminación muy solapada dice el diputado Jorge Medina Barra" [In Bolivia, There Is Very Underhanded Discrimination, Says Deputy Jorge Medina Barra]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
Era 'suerte negrito'; te hacían una ronda, ... [y] se peleaban entre ellos por decir quién nos vio primero.
- ^ Cajías de la Vega 2016a.
- ^ a b Cajías de la Vega 2016b.
- ^ Atahuichi López, Rubén D. (22 September 2013). "En Bolivia hay discriminación muy solapada dice el diputado Jorge Medina Barra" [In Bolivia, There Is Very Underhanded Discrimination, Says Deputy Jorge Medina Barra]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Komadina & Regalsky 2016.
- ^ Vargas & Villavicencio 2014, p. 98; Cajías de la Vega 2016a.
- ^ Gonzales Salas 2013, p. 226"... nos identificaba como: 'Los negritos que bailan ...'. Eso me daba rabia, porque nosotros no somos buenos sólo para bailar, podemos hacer otras cosas."
- ^ a b Romero Ballivián 2018, p. 360.
- ^ a b Gonzales Salas 2013, p. 227; Cajías de la Vega 2016a.
- ^ a b Marca, Juan Pablo (18 October 2020). "Las circunscripciones especiales indígenas" [The Special Indigenous Circumscriptions]. Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 1 November 2020. Retrieved 22 October 2022.
- ^ "Angola fue 'acomodado' por una maniobra política" [Angola was 'accommodated' through a political maneuver]. El Día (in Spanish). Santa Cruz de la Sierra. 9 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ "Evo cambia candidatos afrobolivianos" [Evo Changes Afro-Bolivian Candidates]. Opinión (in Spanish). Cochabamba. Agencia Boliviana de Información. 10 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 April 2023. Retrieved 17 April 2023.
- ^ a b Bustillos Zamorano, Iván (21 December 2015). "Jorge Medina: Militante contra el 'apartakuy'" [Jorge Medina: Militant Against "Apartakuy"]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Busdiecker 2019, p. 3.
- ^ Busdiecker 2019, pp. 9, 12.
- ^ Stobart 2019, p. 193.
- ^ Busdiecker 2019, p. 12.
- ^ Stobart 2019, pp. 193–194.
- ^ "La danza engrosa el patrimonio" [Dances Becomes National Heritage]. La Razón (in Spanish). La Paz. 15 June 2011. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "En septiembre festejan el Día Nacional del Pueblo Afroboliviano" [In September, Bolivians Celebrate the National Day of the Afro-Bolivian People]. El Diario (in Spanish). La Paz. Agencia de Noticias Fides. 3 September 2012. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Medina: 'Afrobolivianos serán tomados en cuenta por primera vez en un censo'" [Medina: "Afro-Bolivians Will Be Taken into Account in a Census for the First Time"]. Los Tiempos (in Spanish). Cochabamba. 6 August 2012. Archived from the original on 25 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ "Proponen crear el primer municipio afroboliviano" [Medina and Cajías Propose Creation of the First Afro-Bolivian Municipality]. Opinión (in Spanish). Cochabamba. Agencia de Noticias Fides. 2 December 2012. Archived from the original on 26 November 2022. Retrieved 26 November 2022.
- ^ "Comisiones y Comités: Periodo Legislativo 2011–2012". diputados.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Chamber of Deputies. Archived from the original on 26 May 2011. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Vargas & Villavicencio 2014, p. 318.
- ^ "Comisiones y Comités: Periodo Legislativo 2012–2013". diputados.bo (in Spanish). Chamber of Deputies. Archived from the original on 5 February 2012. Retrieved 24 November 2022.
- ^ Vargas & Villavicencio 2014, p. 315.
- ^ Vargas & Villavicencio 2014, p. 308.
- ^ Ortega, Erick (2 January 2023). "La afroboliviana Tomasa Medina Flores: La cara rebelde y alegre de los Yungas" [Afro-Bolivian Tomasa Medina Flores: The Rebellious and Joyful Face of the Yungas]. Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. Archived from the original on 3 January 2023. Retrieved 2 January 2023.
- ^ "Fallece Jorge Medina, líder afroboliviano y exdiputado" [Jorge Medina, Afro-Bolivian Leader and Former Deputy, Dies]. Página Siete (in Spanish). La Paz. 23 November 2022. Archived from the original on 24 November 2022. Retrieved 25 November 2022.
- ^ Chamber of Deputies [@Diputados_Bol] (23 November 2022). "Q.E.P.D. Jorge Medina Barra" (Tweet) (in Spanish). La Paz. Retrieved 25 November 2022 – via Twitter.
- ^ "Elecciones Generales 2009 | Atlas Electoral". atlaselectoral.oep.org.bo (in Spanish). La Paz: Plurinational Electoral Organ. Archived from the original on 30 December 2022. Retrieved 20 September 2022.
Bibliography
- Busdiecker, Sara (2019). "The Promises and Limits of Bolivia's Anti-racism Law for Afro-Bolivians: Tundiqui, the National Afro-Bolivian Council, and the Battle Against Blackface". Latin American and Caribbean Ethnic Studies. Vol. 14. Abingdon: S2CID 203453834.
- ISBN 978-0-19-993580-2– via Oxford Reference.
- ISBN 978-0-19-993580-2– via Oxford Reference.
- Gonzales Salas, Inés, ed. (2013). Biografías: Historias de vida en la Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional (PDF) (in Spanish). Editorial Gente Común; ERBOL; OCLC 876429743.
- Komadina, George; Regalsky, Pablo (2016). La política de la Saya: El movimiento afroboliviano (in Spanish). La Paz: OCLC 982495321.
- OCLC 1050945993 – via ResearchGate.
- Stobart, Henry (2019). "Bolivia's Anti-racism Law: Transforming a Culture?". In OCLC 1022485907.
- Vargas Luna, María Elena; Villavicencio Arancibia, Jois Sarelly, eds. (2014). Primera Asamblea Legislativa Plurinacional de Bolivia, Cámara de Diputados: Diccionario biográfico, diputadas y diputados titulares y suplentes 2010–2015 (in Spanish). La Paz: OCLC 961105285– via Calaméo.
External links
- Parliamentary profile Office of the Vice President (in Spanish).