La Paz installs iconic morenada mask in public park for Gran Poder

La Paz inaugurated a permanent mask of the morenada dance in the Parque de las Culturas y la Madre Tierra. The mask, crafted by father‑son artisans Gualberto and Raúl Condori, had previously featured in a 2021 exhibition honoring the morenada, a dance declared UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage in 2019. Its installation ahead of the August Gran Poder festival aims to make the heritage visible to residents and foreign visitors travelling the city’s cable‑car line.

The ceremony was attended by representatives of the state‑run Mi Teleférico and the Centre for Cultural Revolution (CRC), which is part of the Central Bank’s cultural foundation. Officials said the work will remain in the park permanently, serving as a public tribute to Bolivian folklore and the African‑descended slaves whose history the morenada commemorates.