Conclusion. An important factor in the spread of Chagas’ disease was the political economy of colonization, accompanied by impoverishment of people

An important factor in the spread of Chagas’ disease was the political economy of colonization, accompanied by impoverishment of people, destruction of land, and attempts to replace Andean culture with European and American culture. It is no wonder that Andeans still refer to foreigners as “vinchucas.”

Andean Indians celebrated the quincentennial of Columbus’s discovery of America with sorrow because of their perceived destruction of the New World. Some Bolivians designed a flag for the occasion. Written on this flag, which symbolizes a pan‑Andean nativistic movement, is the word “Pachacutej” (“reversed time”) and “500 years.” An Aymara leader explained its significance: “For five hundred years we have suffered diseases, poverty, and destruction of land which started with the Conquest. Now, we have to travel five hundred years back to return to what has been taken away by others.” Bolivians of all classes are working towards restoring the values, beliefs, and practices inherent in Andean culture. One finding of this book is the importance of renewing certain Andean traditional patterns to help prevent Chagas’ disease. These patterns involve environmental factors that impinge upon housing, herding, and farming, and that in turn are related to parasites, insects, mammals, and humans. Restoration of cultural values can help Bolivians get rid of the “vinchucas.”