{"id":54478,"date":"2026-03-31T01:36:15","date_gmt":"2026-03-31T01:36:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/?p=54478"},"modified":"2026-03-31T01:36:15","modified_gmt":"2026-03-31T01:36:15","slug":"sad-faces-all-round-as-bolivias-clowns-protest-over-decree-threatening-their-livelihoods-bolivia","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/2026\/03\/31\/sad-faces-all-round-as-bolivias-clowns-protest-over-decree-threatening-their-livelihoods-bolivia\/","title":{"rendered":"Sad faces all round as Bolivia\u2019s clowns protest over decree threatening their livelihoods | Bolivia"},"content":{"rendered":"<p> <script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n<\/p>\n<div>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Dozens of clowns have marched through the streets of Bolivia\u2019s capital to protest against a government decree that limits extracurricular activities in schools, threatening their livelihoods.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Wearing full face paint and their signature red noses, the clowns gathered on Monday in front of the ministry of education in La Paz to oppose a decree published in February. The new mandate says schools must comply with 200 days of lessons each year \u2013 in effect banning them from hosting the special events where the entertainers are frequently employed.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"5ce262ff-f0bd-42d5-9e19-a68085f34988\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><svg width=\"18\" height=\"13\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 13\"><path d=\"M18 3.5v8l-1.5 1.5h-15l-1.5-1.5v-8l1.5-1.5h3.5l2-2h4l2 2h3.5l1.5 1.5zm-9 7.5c1.9 0 3.5-1.6 3.5-3.5s-1.6-3.5-3.5-3.5-3.5 1.6-3.5 3.5 1.6 3.5 3.5 3.5z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">A clown rides a unicycle during a protest in La Paz against the government\u2019s ban on holiday parties at schools during teaching hours.<\/span> Photograph: Juan Karita\/AP<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<figure id=\"29e0e2dc-6d27-4d90-ba9b-8ef7e3079a13\" data-spacefinder-role=\"richLink\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-47fhrn\"><gu-island name=\"RichLinkComponent\" priority=\"feature\" deferuntil=\"idle\" props=\"{&quot;richLinkIndex&quot;:3,&quot;element&quot;:{&quot;_type&quot;:&quot;model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.RichLinkBlockElement&quot;,&quot;prefix&quot;:&quot;Related: &quot;,&quot;text&quot;:&quot;\u2018OK, talk, but don\u2019t make any sound!\u2019: Philippe Gaulier\u2019s illustrious students on his clowning glory&quot;,&quot;elementId&quot;:&quot;29e0e2dc-6d27-4d90-ba9b-8ef7e3079a13&quot;,&quot;role&quot;:&quot;richLink&quot;,&quot;url&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/www.theguardian.com\/stage\/2026\/feb\/18\/philippe-gaulier-remembered-rachel-weisz-sally-phillips-simon-munnery&quot;},&quot;ajaxUrl&quot;:&quot;https:\/\/api.nextgen.guardianapps.co.uk&quot;,&quot;format&quot;:{&quot;design&quot;:0,&quot;display&quot;:0,&quot;theme&quot;:0}}\"\/><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Clowns in Bolivia are often hired for school festivities to entertain children during breaks from their regular lessons. One such event is Children\u2019s Day, which the country celebrates on 12 April.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis decree will economically affect all of us who work with children,\u201d said Wilder Ram\u00edrez, a leader of the local clown union, who also goes by the name of Zapallito. The clown told journalists that \u201cchildren need to laugh\u201d, while his colleagues wondered if Bolivia\u2019s education minister had ever had a childhood.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">The decree issued by the government of the recently elected president, Rodrigo Paz, says celebrations will no longer be authorised during regular school days, though they can be held voluntarily on weekends. Government officials said they would take the clowns\u2019 critiques into account when they make a decree for the 2027 school year.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">But those assurances provided little relief to the clowns protesting on Monday.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"f34355a8-ea14-4813-b95b-92471e06eabd\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><svg width=\"18\" height=\"13\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 13\"><path d=\"M18 3.5v8l-1.5 1.5h-15l-1.5-1.5v-8l1.5-1.5h3.5l2-2h4l2 2h3.5l1.5 1.5zm-9 7.5c1.9 0 3.5-1.6 3.5-3.5s-1.6-3.5-3.5-3.5-3.5 1.6-3.5 3.5 1.6 3.5 3.5 3.5z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">The decree by President Rodrigo Paz says celebrations will no longer be authorised during regular school days, though they can be held voluntarily on weekends.<\/span> Photograph: Luis Gandarillas\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">\u201cThis decree will diminish our income, and with the economic crisis the country is going through, our future looks increasingly gloomy,\u201d said El\u00edas Guti\u00e9rrez, a spokesperson for the Confederation of Artisanal Workers of Bolivia.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Bolivia is grappling with its worst economic crisis in decades. Revenues from natural gas are plummeting after a sustained decline in production, and US dollars are becoming scarce, making imports more expensive in the landlocked nation.<\/p>\n<figure id=\"d244f111-46f1-482a-97f0-3f3f47a913ec\" data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" data-spacefinder-type=\"model.dotcomrendering.pageElements.ImageBlockElement\" class=\"dcr-173mewl\"><figcaption data-spacefinder-role=\"inline\" class=\"dcr-fd61eq\"><span class=\"dcr-1inf02i\"><svg width=\"18\" height=\"13\" viewbox=\"0 0 18 13\"><path d=\"M18 3.5v8l-1.5 1.5h-15l-1.5-1.5v-8l1.5-1.5h3.5l2-2h4l2 2h3.5l1.5 1.5zm-9 7.5c1.9 0 3.5-1.6 3.5-3.5s-1.6-3.5-3.5-3.5-3.5 1.6-3.5 3.5 1.6 3.5 3.5 3.5z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><span class=\"dcr-1qvd3m6\">Clowns, photographers and costume makers marched through the centre of La Paz, blowing whistles and setting off small fireworks.<\/span> Photograph: Luis Gandarillas\/EPA<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Tailors who work with clowns and make dresses for children for cultural events and photographers who typically cover school celebrations joined Monday\u2019s protest.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">Clowns, photographers and costume makers marched through the centre of La Paz, blowing whistles and setting off small fireworks.<\/p>\n<p class=\"dcr-130mj7b\">One of the clowns carried a sign that blamed the government for \u201ctaking away smiles, and taking work away\u201d.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\" async src=\"https:\/\/pagead2.googlesyndication.com\/pagead\/js\/adsbygoogle.js?client=ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     crossorigin=\"anonymous\"><\/script>\r\n<!-- Africa tv video display -->\r\n<ins class=\"adsbygoogle\"\r\n     style=\"display:block\"\r\n     data-ad-client=\"ca-pub-1669381584671856\"\r\n     data-ad-slot=\"3579572842\"\r\n     data-ad-format=\"auto\"\r\n     data-full-width-responsive=\"true\"><\/ins>\r\n<script data-jetpack-boost=\"ignore\">\r\n     (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({});\r\n<\/script><br \/>\n#Sad #faces #Bolivias #clowns #protest #decree #threatening #livelihoods #Bolivia<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Dozens of clowns have marched through the streets of Bolivia\u2019s capital to protest against a government decree that limits extracurricular&hellip;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[32],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-54478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-mzansi"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=54478"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54479,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/54478\/revisions\/54479"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=54478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=54478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/eduzim.co.zw\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=54478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}