Bernice Serataya

Bernice Serrataya Paz, daughter of Oracio Serataya Mendonza (+) and Loiza Paz Masabí, from the Chiquitanía, Aguas Calientes community. She is responsible for Gender of the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of the East, Chaco and Amazon of Bolivia, CIDOB, and has traveled a long road of struggle and perseverance in favor of the Indigenous Peoples of Bolivia.
Bernice was born on September 21, 1980, in the Community of Aguas Caliente in the Third Section of the Chiquitos Province of the Department of Santa Cruz. She studied elementary school in the Yacuses Community and primary and secondary school until she obtained her bachelor’s degree in humanities in Roboré; she then moved to Cochabamba on a scholarship to the Universidad Mayor de San Simón to study Intercultural Education, obtaining a higher technical degree, but she did not finish her bachelor’s degree.
From the year 2007 marks an important milestone in her beginnings of struggle in favor of indigenous peoples, participating in the technical tables of proposal to formulate the New Political Constitution of the State; then the year 2011 begins to work in the indigenous organization Chiquitana (OICH), with the endorsement of her Organization, in the Departmental Secretariat of Indigenous Peoples of the Government of Santa Cruz, accompanying a process of work as a technician of projects for the development of indigenous communities of the Chiquitanía. Then in 2015 through an Assembly of the Chiquitano People, she was elected as Gender Officer of the Chiquitano Indigenous Organization (OICH).
Always present in actions in defense of the rights of indigenous peoples, defender of indigenous women; 21F activist who participated in the Konani – La Paz March in defense of Democracy; Thus, in May 2019, she became part of the Confederation of Indigenous Peoples of the East, Chaco and Amazon of Bolivia CIDOB, through a National Assembly of organizations, elected as Head of Gender of CIDOB; developing a hard work to seek development alternatives for indigenous women; defending democratic processes and resistance to a government transgressor of human rights.
Another of the historical milestones that marked the achievements under the National Direction of CIDOB, was the active participation of the “Great Tenth (X) March of the Indigenous Nations against the laws and decrees that destroy our big house” from San Ignacio de Velasco – Santa Cruz; which was the beginning of igniting the spark to overthrow the dictatorship and tyranny that we lived as Bolivians.
The struggle always to defend and enforce the rights of indigenous women and their constant work during the beginning of the pandemic of COVID-19, drove a work from CIDOB, with technical proposals to the International Organization of Indigenous Peoples of the Amazon Basin COICA, to seek alternatives to help the people in times of pandemic. Thus, an Emergency Fund for the Amazon was created and she was elected as Vice Coordinator of the Emergency Fund of the Amazon Basin.
As a representative of women from CIDOB, she advocated for the first international aid from the Amazon Emergency Fund to go to the Central Indigenous Chiquitana Amanecer Roboré (CICHAR) despite the many limitations to enter both Roboré and other territories, it was not an obstacle to help families in need of both medicine and food aid.
My work commitment is and will always be to serve the indigenous movement from the functions assigned to me and I continue to work even in times of pandemic bringing a grain of solidarity and hope for the people and especially for indigenous women.