Rafael Quispe

Rafael Arcangel Quispe Flores (born 24 October 1969) is a Bolivian community leader, politician and current head of the Fund for Indigenous Development after appointment by Jeanine Áñez.[1] He was born in Ayllu Sicuypata on 24 October 1969 in the department of La Paz.[2]

He is a mallku (traditional leader) and became leader of National Council of Ayllus and Markas of Cullasuyu (CONAMAQ), a body of traditional leaders representing collective land-holdings (ayllus) and regions (markas) from throughout the Aymara realm (Cullasuyu).[3] In March 2014, he reported that the then Executive Secretary of the Federation of Peasant Women Bartolina Sisa de La Paz, Felipa Huanca, was part of the mulimillion dollar embezzlement of the liquidated Indigenous Fund.[4] He is currently a member of the Chamber of Deputies for UD (Unidad Demócrata).[2] He has been a vocal critic of the Evo Morales government for many years.[3]

He is also well known for his humorous and polemic style of politics, pulling many stunts, including giving "a "basic level" Aymara language translation dictionary to President Evo Morales when the debate about the authorities speaking his native language was in vogue"[4] Although Morales is ethnically Aymara, he does not speak the language.[5] In the run-up to the 2019 election, he delivered a tray of eggs to Vice President Linera to boost Linera's brainpower if he were to take up the challenge of facing Quispe in a debate.[6]

On 1 January 2020, Quispe reported economic damage through corruption of Bs 121 million ($17.5 million) to the Fund for Indigenous Development during the previous Morales administration via hundreds of projects that were never completed despite money being distributed. [7]