More than 50,000 faithful arrived on August 5 to the National Sanctuary of the Virgin of Copacabana, Patroness of Bolivia, to participate in the celebrations for the centenary of his canonical coronation, which occurred on August 1, 1925.
The appointment was marked by the strong Marian devotion, the Bicentennial of the Independence of the country and the climate of expectation for the next presidential elections that will take place on August 17.
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Pilgrims from different Bolivian regions, as well as devotees from Peru and Colombia, participated in masses, processions and cultural events. Many arrived to thank favors attributed to the intercession of the Virgin. “Before we had a very small business and now we have a prosperous one. I feel very blessed by Copacabana’s mother,” said Areceli Morales, a faithful.
The devotion to this Marian invocation dates back to the 16th century, when Tito Yupanqui – direct descendant of the Incas emperors – had a dream and a vision of the Virgin with features of Inca maiden. Inspired by that experience, carved the image that since then is venerated in the basilica of Copacabana, on the shores of Lake Titicaca, a sacred place for the Incas that considered the cradle of Manco Cápac and Mama Ocllo.
In his message for the party, Pope Leo XIV congratulated the Bolivian people and asked God, by intercession of the Virgin of Copacabana, “to bless and accompany them in this path of faith and commitment for the common good.”
The Bolivian Episcopal Conference urged to live the Bicentennial “with a spirit of joy, but also with deep responsibility” and urged voters to exercise their citizen duty “with ethical conscience and democratic spirit.” To the candidates, they asked “not to disappoint the hope of a whole people that yearn for better times.”
The country prepares for the general elections of August 17, in which eight applicants compete for the Presidency. The surveys located in the first place to businessman Samuel Doria Medina, followed by former president Jorge Quiroga. If none reaches the majority, the second round will be held on October 19.
Diego López Marina
I was born in 1991. I have a degree in Communication Sciences. Since 2015 I work as a digital journalist. I started my career in the newspaper El Comercio in Peru. In 2016, I began as editor in ACI Press and I perform as a web editor since 2018. From 2024, I write the Newsletter for Social Media. I specialize in Catholic news focused on the defense of life and family, international politics, technology, popular culture and the Vatican.