31 Facts About Rafael Quispe

Rafael Quispe previously served as a substitute party-list member of the Chamber of Deputies from La Paz under Maria Eugenia Calcina from 2015 to 2019.

Rafael Quispe studied law at multiple universities, though he never completed a degree.

Rafael Quispe held prominent positions of local leadership in and around his Aymara community, serving as mallku of the Caquingora Marka and later mallku of the Pakajaqi Suyu.

Rafael Quispe entered national politics in the 2014 general election, losing a race for a seat in the Chamber of Deputies but later being authorized to serve as a substitute deputy.

In late 2020, Rafael Quispe launched his candidacy for the governorship of La Paz, running on a ticket led by his own Somos Pueblo party.

Rafael Quispe narrowly failed to move to the second round, placing third in the election.

An ethnic Aymara, Rafael Quispe was born on 24 October 1969 in the Sicuypata Ayllu of La Paz's Coro Coro Municipality, a locale that, according to local indigenous custom, is situated in the Caquingora Marka of the Pakajaqi Suyu.

Rafael Quispe is the youngest of eight siblings born to Manuela Flores; their father, a local miner, died when he was 18.

Rafael Quispe moved to El Alto, graduating from the Center for Accelerated Secondary Education before going on to work in a variety of blue-collar fields, including as a cobbler, mechanic, and service driver.

Rafael Quispe held prominent posts in the region until 2005, being named mallku of his marka and later mallku of the entire suyu.

Rafael Quispe's rise within indigenist circles culminated in his 2010 election as a member of the governing board of the National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Qullasuyu, serving as mallku of the organization's Extractive Industries Commission.

Originally a supporter of President Evo Morales, Rafael Quispe later soured on the indigenous leader.

In February 2014, Rafael Quispe broke CONAMAQ's pact with the PVB, opting instead to sign an alliance with Samuel Doria Medina's National Unity Front.

Ultimately, Rafael Quispe was nominated as a candidate for deputy, placing fifth on the Democratic Unity coalition's electoral list.

UD's mediocre performance in the La Paz Department garnered it just four party-list deputies, precluding Rafael Quispe from entering the chamber.

The many political stunts Rafael Quispe pulled were often accompanied by serious accusations against ruling party officials or otherwise made light of allegations levied against him.

In early 2015, Rafael Quispe became involved as a plaintiff in an investigation into embezzlement within the Indigenous Development Fund.

The oral trial against Rafael Quispe was opened by La Paz's First Anti-Corruption and Violence Against Women Court on 7 February 2018.

Rafael Quispe failed to attend the hearing three times, considering it a waste of time, for which an arrest warrant to secure his presence was issued.

Shortly after Morales's removal from office, his successor, transitional president Jeanine Anez, appointed Rafael Quispe to serve as general executive director of the Indigenous Development Fund, a move interpreted as a gesture towards the country's indigenous community, whose relationship with Morales was mixed.

Early into the new year, Rafael Quispe expanded the investigation to include former members of the Indigenous Fund's board of supervisors, a body presided over by former ministers Juan Ramon Quintana, Carlos Romero, and Luis Arce.

Rafael Quispe denied any wrongdoing, assuring that the event had been organized to convey pandemic prevention measures and that he had not expected such high attendance.

Rafael Quispe rejected the opportunity, stating that if the government truly believed his crime serious enough to remove him from the Indigenous Fund, they should not be considering him for a different position.

When Ortiz's running mate, Edwin Rodriguez, withdrew from the race, Rafael Quispe was profiled as a potential replacement vice-presidential candidate, though ultimately, Deputy Shirley Franco got the nod.

Midway through the campaign, Rafael Quispe faced a reactivation in the process against him opened by Felipa Huanca.

Rafael Quispe denounced the conviction as an act of political sabotage aimed at disqualifying his candidacy, with his lawyer, Eduardo Leon, stating that he had observed "obvious" pressure from the government.

Ultimately, Rafael Quispe failed to attain enough votes to challenge the MAS in the second round, exiting third following the election with 22.44 percent of the popular vote, trailing behind Santos Rafael Quispe and Franklin Flores.

On election day, Rafael Quispe posted a picture of his ballot, displaying that he had drawn in an extra box for himself, for whom he cast his vote.

Rafael Quispe has criticized political leaders for leaving public office much richer than when they entered.

Rafael Quispe has been noted for his connection to El Alto's nightclub scene, having previously led the Association of Bars, Canteens, and Restaurants of El Alto.

In 2015, Deputy Maria Eugenia Calcina accused him of being the owner of a network of bars and brothels in the city, a concept Rafael Quispe vehemently rejected as a politically motivated attack against his character.