What do you see in this picture?

I see my friends, first. I see people who who are victims of continuing prejudice, who are materially poor even by Bolivian standards, who lack formal education, who have lost their traditional culture, and who face the numerous and very real challenges of sudden liberty. But I also see people who are used to hard work, who are willing -- if not entirely ready -- to take on new responsibilities, and who own the land under their feet. I once asked Don Benito what his vision for the future was. He said, "I want to die here in Imi. I want my children to live here and die here."

The story of Imi, the story of my neighbors, is fundamentally positive, full of possibility. And this is the story I hope to tell.

(I mentioned that the Guaraní are materially poor. I'm not sure what it means in real terms, but to give you some idea, few families in Imi earn more than $us75 per year.)