Franz Tamayo
Encyclopedia
Franz Tamayo Solares was a Bolivia
n intellectual, writer, and politician. The Franz Tamayo Province
is named after him. He was renowned for his oratory. A prominent Bolivian poet and philosopher, he wrote a number of educational treatises and also practiced law, journalism, and diplomacy. Tamayo was of Mestizo
background; he had both Aymara and Spanish
ancestry.
Tamayo's racial concepts were and continue to be very influential in Bolivian thought, life, and culture. He considered Indians
(indigneous or originary people) skilled only in the faculties of physical labor, such as agricultural work or military service, but deficient in faculties of the mind that whites
(creoles or those of European descent) excelled in. Mestizos (of mixed decent) he considered proficient in both the areas of physical and mental labor and therefore able to function as citizens of the Bolivian Republic, assuming acculturation to European culture. This racialized understanding of the mestizo (or Cholo
) and modern citizen would greatly influence and underline Bolivia's politics and national identity
after the 1952 revolution.
In politics, Tamayo originally supported the Liberal Party
but switched to the opposition Republican Party around 1920. In 1931 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Relations by president Daniel Salamanca. He actually won the 1934 presidential elections, but these were annulled by the leaders of the military coup that toppled Salamanca from power.
This is an old anecdote about Franz Tamayo that is illustrative of his character:
Tamayo lived in La Paz
(Bolivia's Capital), and every morning he would get up early and spend 15 minutes gazing from his balcony to the imposing Illimani, the highest of the mountains surrounding the city.
After a while, a man came to live in the same building as Tamayo, and one morning he saw him in his "ritual". "Franz", he called out, for Tamayo was well known in the city. "Franz!". After some minutes of shouting and receiving no answer, he lost his temper and shouted "For God's sake, Franz, what is your problem? I am trying to say 'good morning' to you" Tamayo turned around, his eyes on fire, and shouted. "¡Silencio! Dos cumbres se contemplan" ("Silence!, two giants gaze upon each other.)
Another anecdote,
Tamayo was serving in the Bolivian House of Representatives when he gave one of his famed impassioned speeches before that august body. Inevitably, someone took exception to his thinking and booed the great poet and orator, tossing (of all things) a horseshoe at him to show his displeasure. Tamayo calmly picked up the horseshoe and said aloud "incidentally, would the gentleman who has lost his shoe please come up front to claim it?"
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n intellectual, writer, and politician. The Franz Tamayo Province
Franz Tamayo Province
Franz Tamayo is a province in the Bolivian department of La Paz. It lies in the western part of the nation, and includes the Ulla Ulla National Reserve - which today is part of the Apolobamba Integrated Management Natural Area - in the high Andean plain on the western border with Peru...
is named after him. He was renowned for his oratory. A prominent Bolivian poet and philosopher, he wrote a number of educational treatises and also practiced law, journalism, and diplomacy. Tamayo was of Mestizo
Mestizo
Mestizo is a term traditionally used in Latin America, Philippines and Spain for people of mixed European and Native American heritage or descent...
background; he had both Aymara and Spanish
Spanish people
The Spanish are citizens of the Kingdom of Spain. Within Spain, there are also a number of vigorous nationalisms and regionalisms, reflecting the country's complex history....
ancestry.
Tamayo's racial concepts were and continue to be very influential in Bolivian thought, life, and culture. He considered Indians
Indigenous peoples of the Americas
The indigenous peoples of the Americas are the pre-Columbian inhabitants of North and South America, their descendants and other ethnic groups who are identified with those peoples. Indigenous peoples are known in Canada as Aboriginal peoples, and in the United States as Native Americans...
(indigneous or originary people) skilled only in the faculties of physical labor, such as agricultural work or military service, but deficient in faculties of the mind that whites
White people
White people is a term which usually refers to human beings characterized, at least in part, by the light pigmentation of their skin...
(creoles or those of European descent) excelled in. Mestizos (of mixed decent) he considered proficient in both the areas of physical and mental labor and therefore able to function as citizens of the Bolivian Republic, assuming acculturation to European culture. This racialized understanding of the mestizo (or Cholo
Cholo
Cholo is an ethnic slur created by Hispanic criollos in the 16th century, and it has been applied to individuals of mixed or pure American Indian ancestry, or other racially mixed origin. The precise usage of "cholo" has varied widely in different times and places...
) and modern citizen would greatly influence and underline Bolivia's politics and national identity
National identity
National identity is the person's identity and sense of belonging to one state or to one nation, a feeling one shares with a group of people, regardless of one's citizenship status....
after the 1952 revolution.
In politics, Tamayo originally supported the Liberal Party
Liberal Party (Bolivia)
The Liberal Party was one of two major political parties in Bolivia in the late 19th century and the first half of the 20th century. The other was the Conservative Party. The Liberal Party was formally founded in 1883 by Eliodoro Camacho...
but switched to the opposition Republican Party around 1920. In 1931 he was appointed Minister of Foreign Relations by president Daniel Salamanca. He actually won the 1934 presidential elections, but these were annulled by the leaders of the military coup that toppled Salamanca from power.
This is an old anecdote about Franz Tamayo that is illustrative of his character:
Tamayo lived in La Paz
La Paz
Nuestra Señora de La Paz is the administrative capital of Bolivia, as well as the departmental capital of the La Paz Department, and the second largest city in the country after Santa Cruz de la Sierra...
(Bolivia's Capital), and every morning he would get up early and spend 15 minutes gazing from his balcony to the imposing Illimani, the highest of the mountains surrounding the city.
After a while, a man came to live in the same building as Tamayo, and one morning he saw him in his "ritual". "Franz", he called out, for Tamayo was well known in the city. "Franz!". After some minutes of shouting and receiving no answer, he lost his temper and shouted "For God's sake, Franz, what is your problem? I am trying to say 'good morning' to you" Tamayo turned around, his eyes on fire, and shouted. "¡Silencio! Dos cumbres se contemplan" ("Silence!, two giants gaze upon each other.)
Another anecdote,
Tamayo was serving in the Bolivian House of Representatives when he gave one of his famed impassioned speeches before that august body. Inevitably, someone took exception to his thinking and booed the great poet and orator, tossing (of all things) a horseshoe at him to show his displeasure. Tamayo calmly picked up the horseshoe and said aloud "incidentally, would the gentleman who has lost his shoe please come up front to claim it?"