Cholita barista builds a specialty-coffee career as sector grows in Bolivia

Record ID: 2361131

  • Title: Cholita barista builds a specialty-coffee career as sector grows in Bolivia
  • Date: 5th March 2026
  • Summary: (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARISTA, AMALIA CORINA TINTA, SAYING: "Bolivian coffee has a brilliant acidity, and it also stands out for its fruit notes. Because we are at a high altitude, this makes Bolivian coffee high-quality and recognized worldwide." TINTA’S CAFE FAÇADE VARIOUS OF CORINA GETTING READY CUPS DECORATING CAFE CORINA WALKING IN CAFE (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BARISTA,
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: BARISTA BOLIVIA CHOLITA COFFEE INDIGENOUS WOMAN SPECIALTY COFFEE WOMEN'S DAY
  • Location: EL ALTO, BOLIVIA
  • City: EL ALTO, BOLIVIA
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Topics: South America / Central America,Living/Lifestyle,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA003058003032026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text: In the vibrant heart of El Alto, the first major Indigenous city in South America founded by Aymara migrants since colonial times, barista Amalia Corina Tinta moves proudly behind the counter of her cafe.
    As the country's reportedly first cholita barista, she stands in her pollera and braided hair, preparing specialty coffee with a craftsperson's precision and a trailblazer's confidence at her cafe Kafete. 
    Her journey—celebrated ahead of International Women's Day—embodies identity, resilience, and the growing visibility of Indigenous women in Bolivia's thriving coffee industry.
    Every morning, the 31-year-old ties on her apron and fastens her traditional earrings before beginning the ritual she has mastered—measuring, grinding, blooming, and extracting.
    Her movements are fluid, practiced, and intentional—skills she has developed since migrating from Kellahuyo, a rural community where coffee culture was virtually unknown.
    Today, she is a certified professional barista and brewing specialist, skilled in cupping and multiple brewing methods.
    Though Kafete is not the first specialty cafe in El Alto, it stands as a symbol of a fast-growing movement.
    The La Paz region produces most of Bolivia's high-altitude coffee, with Caranavi town known as the coffee capital of Bolivia.
    In 2024, the country exported over 15 million U.S. dollars' worth of coffee, nearing 2,500 metric tons, destined for the U.S. (34%), Belgium-Luxembourg (17%), and France and Germany (6%), according to the Bolivian Institute of Foreign Trade.
    (Production: Santiago Limachi, Monica Machicao, Anna Portella)
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2026. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: Audio restrictions: This clip's Audio includes copyrighted material. User is responsible for obtaining additional clearances before publishing the audio contained in this clip.
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