Martha Yujra

Minister of Cultures Morales was succeeded by opposition senator Jeanine Áñez, who quickly moved to form an ad hoc cabinet to oversee a caretaker government. On 14 November 2019, two days after assuming office, Áñez appointed Yujra to head the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism. Yujra was the only indigenous member of the Áñez Cabinet, a point she highlighted at her swearing-in ceremony, where she "[committed], as a woman in a pollera... to continue fighting for a country united in diversity". In her speech, she also declared that "it is women's time. We are the ones who take the reins of this country"; in its history, Áñez was only Bolivia's second female head of state.

Áñez, flanked to her right by Yujra, in the Palacio Quemado, 19 November 2019.

Following her inauguration, amid continued social unrest in the country, Yujra presented herself as a mediator in the government's dialogue with labor sectors in El Alto. On 18 November, she traveled to the city to meet with leaders of neighborhood associations, seeking to negotiate an end to antigovernment demonstrations. Talks were partially successful, with most of El Alto's labor leaders agreeing to demobilize. However, more radical sectors maintained pressure measures, culminating in a police-led massacre in the Senkata barrio. Yujra blamed much of the unrest on supporters of the previous government, accusing ruling party members of forcing Alteños to participate in protests.

In her first major action as minister, Yujra endeavored to achieve official State recognition of Bolivia's indigenous chola community. On 27 January 2020, in a ceremony attended by dignitaries of various chola groups, Áñez signed a draft bill commemorating cholas from five departments and the Afro-Bolivian community, recognizing their identities as part of the country's intangible cultural heritage. For her part, Yujra—herself a chola—stated that "with this law, women in polleras are going to have a place that corresponds to us".

Under the slogan "a culture of peace and unity to heal", the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism launched the 2020 carnival celebration. The festival's inaugural act was held at the Viru Viru International Airport, featuring a flash mob of dancers, invited authorities—including Yujra—and other guests, all of whom shared in the festivities inside commercial aircraft. Throughout the celebration, Yujra's ministry worked in partnership with the private sector, seeking to promote tourism to the country.

At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, Yujra's administration faced the impact of quarantine measures on the country's artists and entertainers. On 28 April, the Ministry of Cultures held a web conference with delegates from different entertainment sectors, in which viable solutions to face the difficult situation were outlined. Nonetheless, Yujra was criticized for failing to adequately meet the needs of artists, with opponents stating that her ministry lacked sound management throughout the pandemic. Additionally, the Federation of Neighborhood Councils of El Alto accused Yujra of not coordinating anti-COVID measures with local authorities, despite her being appointed as a presidential delegate to the city for that very purpose.

Yujra and her vice ministers at a press conference, 27 December 2019. alt=Martha Yujra speaks into a microphone during a press conference.

In the final days of her administration, Yujra authorized the grant, on a ninety-year loan, of La Sombrerería Cultural Center to the Central Bank of Bolivia's Cultural Foundation. Located in Sucre, La Sombrerería is the country's largest piece of cultural infrastructure, equipped with multiple theater rooms, a children's museum, and outdoor venues, all capable of housing hundreds of people. The cultural center was inaugurated in October 2019 but remained closed since, coinciding with the political crisis initiated at the time. Yujra considered that the loan—authorized through Supreme Decree N° 4243—would charge more capable officials with maintaining the property, allowing it to finally reopen after months of disuse.

Yujra's term in office lasted until 4 June, when it was terminated following Áñez's decision to permanently abolish three ministries; among them, the Ministry of Cultures and Tourism, which was merged with the Ministry of Education. The president characterized the decision as a cost-saving measure intended to conserve resources to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. In an interview with Página Siete, Yujra noted that she had not been consulted about the decision to close the ministry: "the truth, it [was] a surprise for me... I just had to accept it". The ex-minister considered the decision a mistake, expressing her hope that the ministry be reinstated, perhaps merged with the Ministry of Sports, which was also abolished. Yujra was nominally succeeded by Víctor Hugo Cárdenas, minister of education, though the vice ministry of interculturality—charged with heading the cultures portfolio—remained vacant for three months, with Marcelo Bazán being appointed to head it in September.

Two months after her removal from office, in late July, Áñez appointed Yujra to serve as a counselor in the Bolivian Embassy in Quito, Ecuador. For her part, following her term as a counselor, Yujra retired to her residence in El Alto, affirming that she had no intention of leaving the country or going into hiding: "he who does nothing fears nothing. I have no reason to hide, why hide?"

Electoral history + Year Office Alliance Votes Result . Total % . 2019 Deputy Bolivia Says No 19,892 1.19% 5th Source: Plurinational Electoral Organ Electoral Atlas