Bolivia inks OAS-backed anti-discrimination pacts

Bolivia on Tuesday signed two nondiscrimination pacts promoted by the Organization of American States (OAS), the Bolivian News Agency (ABI) reported.

Bolivian Foreign Affairs Minister David Choquehuanca signed the Inter-American Convention Against Racism, Racial Discrimination and Related Intolerance and the Inter-American Convention Against All Forms of Discrimination and Intolerance.

Choquehuanca said the accords uphold principles contained in Bolivia's Constitution, which "prohibits and sanctions all types of discrimination."

OAS Secretary General Jose Miguel Insulza, attending the signing ceremony, said the OAS recognizes the "enormous effort" Bolivia has made to consolidate the principles of equality.

As one of South America's poorest nations, Bolivia is home to a large number of indigenous population that suffered from colonial rule for centuries.

The Bolivian Constitution "contains measures designed to promote the rights of populations that have been historically discriminated against, such as the aboriginal peoples and farmers, Bolivians of African descent and women," said Insulza.

Bolivia is the tenth country in the region to sign the first convention, and the eighth to sign the second, according to the OAS.

The legally binding instruments will come into force only after being ratified by each country, and to date no country has ratified them, the agency said. Endi