72nd Annual MALAS Conference

¡Bienvenidos!  Bem vinda!  Welcome!

I am delighted to welcome you to the 72nd annual conference of the Midwest Association for Latin American Studies (MALAS), to Santa Cruz & Cochabamba, Bolivia. This should be another wonderful conference.

Special events have been programmed for participants to gain an immersive experience. The conference will be an excellent opportunity to gather in person in the middle of the South American continent.

Bolivia shares its borders with five neighboring nations. The Andes Mountain range runs through the country and the mountainous terrain coupled with its location in the tropics result in a wide range of ecosystems and lands rich in mineral resources. Castilian, Bolivian Spanish, is the dominant language but many speak ñ Native American languages such as Aymara or Quechua. The conference will be held in two modern cities, each with its distinct culture and identity.

The host institution is Universidad Privada Boliviana. UPB has three campuses and MALAS will be at the Santa Cruz campus and the Campus at Cochabamba.

Francisco Mayorga

President