Wilma Alanoca Mamani is a Bolivian journalist and politician. Since 23 January 2017, she has been the Minister of Cultures of Bolivia during the third government of President Evo Morales. She previously served as opposition councilor of the municipality of El Alto from 2015 to 2017 for the Movement for Socialism, during the administration of mayor.
Biography
Early years
Wilma Alanoca was born on 5 July 1985 in La Paz, the youngest of four children of neighborhood leader Rosendo Alanoca and merchant Margarita Mamani. She began her primary studies in La Paz in 1991. In 1997, when she was 12 years old, the Alanoca family moved to the city of El Alto. She continued her studies there, leaving high school in 2003. She studied social communication at the Higher University of San Andrés, graduating as a journalist in 2009.
Professional career
Alanoca began her career in media in 2004, while still a university student, appearing on the Continental Radio programCompartiendo la tarde. She then worked for a time at, on the programRadio en Vivo con el periodista . She began reading news on the Unitepc channel, and later on Paceñísima de Televisión. She was also on the state channel Bolivia TV with a small business program called Pymes y Mypes. She worked as a radio broadcaster on Radio Integración in El Alto, with her program Dos horas con Wilma, as well as on El Alto's regional Canal 24 with the program Wilma y Usted. She also became the communications director of the company, although only for a short time.
In 2011, Alanoca joined Red ATB, where she initially covered the news from El Alto, and then as a news anchor. She worked at this media outlet until 2014.
Political career
Councilor of El Alto (2015–2017)
In 2015, Alanoca declared herself a candidate of the MAS-IPSP led by Evo Morales. In March 2015, she was elected councilor in the opposition in the city of El Alto. She was a member of the council from 2015 to 2017.
Minister of Cultures of Bolivia (2017–2019)
On 23 January 2017, President Evo Morales appointed Alanoca Minister of Cultures of Bolivia. Along with Mariana Prado and Ariana Campero, she was one of the three youngest ministers of the third government of President Morales, who made an effort to renew his cabinet with the inclusion of new generations.
Controversies
On 1 March 2018, during the delivery of household gas in El Alto on the occasion of her anniversary, Minister Alanoca was verbally assaulted by President Morales. He was harshly criticized by the population for denigrating women with the following phrase:
