Juan Vargas Aruquipa

Monsignor Juan Vargas y Aruquipa (born 8 March 1947) is a Bolivian prelate of the Catholic Church. He served as the Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Coroico from 1997 to 2022. Prior to his post as diocesan bishop, he served as an auxiliary bishop in Coroico and as a titular bishop of the Titular See of Bita. During his time as bishop, he was one of Bolivia's only two Catholic bishops of indigenous descent. He is the president of Unidad Académica Campesina-Carmen Pampa.

Ecclesiastical career On 20 July 1980, Vargas y Aruquipa was ordained to the priesthood in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Coroico. In 2019, he participated in the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region.

In July 2020, he was one of over a hundred bishops who signed a statement against global corporate greed.

He attended the Bolivian Episcopal Conference in 2021 as a pastoral care official.

Vargas y Aruquipa's resignation from the office of Bishop of Coroico was officially accepted by Pope Francis on 3 December 2022.

In 2023, he served as a co-consecrator at the consecration of his successor, Bishop Juan Carlos Huaygua Oropeza.

He is the president of Unidad Académica Campesina-Carmen Pampa.

Personal life Vargas y Aruquipa was born in Achacachi on 8 March 1947.

He was awarded the highest office of the Royal Order of Merit of Prince Uchicho by King Julio I for his close relationship with the Afro-Bolivian community.

Honours