A government-led push to promote Native languages has stirred controversy among non-Natives in Bolivia.
President Evo Morales, the first Indian to lead the country, started the program by requiring government employees to undergo indigenous language training. But when he pushed for Native languages to be taught in all public schools, non-Natives questioned the need to learn Quechua or Aymara, the predominant Native languages.
The effort coincided with a drop in popularity for Morales. He has backed away from some of the proposals, and last week, he fired several members of his Cabinet who were involved in the controversy.
An estimated 37 percent of Bolivia's population speaks a Native language. More than half of the population is indigenous.
Get the Story:In Bolivia, Speaking Up For Native Languages (The Washington Post 1/30)
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