Works opened to stimulate the tourism potential of southern shore of Lake Titicaca

(La Paz, September 30, 2011).- As part of the Culture for Development project, a ceremony was held to open Muelle de Zapana and Tourist Park, located in Zapana community, 85 kilometers from La Paz. The project is being executed by CAF - Latin American development bank, Sociedad Boliviana de Cemento SA (Soboce), the national government through the Social and Territorial Support Fund (FAST), and Tiwanaku, Viacha and Taraco municipalities.

"The project promotes the recovery and restoration of the archaeological heritage of the Tiwanaku and Chiripa cultures, and build on their exceptional attraction as a lever for the socioeconomic development of the communities in the area," CAF director representative in Bolivia Emilio Uquillas said.

The financial institution aims to promote creation of employment, sustainable income and productive opportunities for low-income families. "In this case, it will be through tourism which is a sector where Bolivia has comparative advantages which can make a decisive contribution to raising the levels of progress and wellbeing of the population," Uquillas said.

Soboce, as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) activities, promotes creation of opportunities so that local people can improve their standard of living through tourism.

The company’s main shareholder, Samuel Doria Medina, said "tourism is the most democratic export activity which exists, because its benefits are spread among all the inhabitants of a community. I hope that with this project the inhabitants of Taraco municipality become successful exporters of culture and archaeological heritage."

The opening ceremony was attended by hundreds of community members and authorities including the Mayor of Taraco, Virginia Lecona Alejo; the Cantonal Jiliri Mallku, Javier Huchani; and the Jiliri Mallku of Zapana, Pablo Mamani.

The works opened in Zapana, on the Taraco peninsula - very close to the town of Chiripa which has one of the oldest archaeological sites in the Andes - are Zapana Muelle, 135 meters long and 4 meters wide; and a Tourist Park built according to the Tiwanacotas structures with a total area of ​​340 m2, along with a management office, rest areas for visitors, and over a kilometer of access paths.

The new infrastructure will improve access for fishing and tour boats, in addition to offering one of the most spectacular views of Lake Titicaca and the Andes Cordillera.

After the opening of the works, the book Culture for Development Project, published by CAF and Soboce, was presented. The book describes the findings and archaeological work carried out in the Akapana Pyramid and Chiripa Archaeological Site, with details of the other components of the project. The books will be donated to the beneficiary municipalities of Viacha, Tiwanaku and Taraco.

Culture for Development Project

For almost seven years, the Culture for Development Project has executed works and activities to create a major tourist circuit on the southern shore of Lake Titicaca which combines the recovery of archaeological heritage with the needs of local socioeconomic development.

The works executed include excavation and conservation of important sectors of the Akapana pyramid, recovery of the Chiripa archaeological site, renovation of the entrance and main square of Tiwanaku, building of a large family recreation park in Viacha, construction a pier and tourist park in Zapana locality. The work was accompanied by educational activities to raise awareness on waste recycling, signposting the tourist circuit, among other activities.