The Bolivian Palace of Government, better known as Palacio Quemado (, ''Burnt Palace''), was the official residence of the

President of Bolivia The president of Bolivia ( es, Presidente de Bolivia), officially known as the president of the Plurinational State of Bolivia ( es, Presidente del Estado Plurinacional de Bolivia), is head of state and head of government of Bolivia and the ca ...

from 1853 to 2018 and again briefly from 2019 to 2020. It is located in downtown La Paz on

Plaza Murillo The Plaza Murillo is the central plaza of the city of La Paz and the open space most connected to the political life of Bolivia. Prominent buildings on the plaza include the Presidential Palace, National Congress of Bolivia, and the Cathedral of L ...

, next to the

La Paz Cathedral LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States. La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Music * La (musical note), or A, the sixth note * "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...

and across from the Bolivian legislature. On 9 August 2018, it was replaced by the

Casa Grande del Pueblo The Casa Grande del Pueblo (English: Great House of the People), is the Bolivian presidential residence that replaced the Palacio Quemado in 2018. Inaugurated on 9 August 2018 during the presidency of Evo Morales as the official residence of the ...

as the residence of the president by President

Evo Morales Juan Evo Morales Ayma (; born 26 October 1959) is a Bolivian politician, trade union organizer, and former cocalero activist who served as the 65th president of Bolivia from 2006 to 2019. Widely regarded as the country's first president to c ...

. The interim government of

Jeanine Áñez Jeanine Áñez Chávez (; born 13 June 1967) is a Bolivian lawyer, politician, and television presenter who served as the 66th president of Bolivia from 2019 to 2020. A former member of the Social Democratic Movement, she previously served two ...

briefly reverted to occupying the Palacio Quemado from 2019 until 2020 when the newly elected

Luis Arce Luis Alberto Arce Catacora (; born 28 September 1963), often referred to as Lucho, is a Bolivian banker, economist, and politician serving as the 67th president of Bolivia since 2020. A member of the Movement for Socialism, he previously serve ...

returned to using the Casa Grande. It now serves as a museum. Its nickname originates from the fact that it was set aflame and burned almost to the ground during an uprising in 1875. It has since been rebuilt and redecorated a number of times, but the name stuck.

History

The Palacio Quemado earned its nickname of the "Burnt Palace" in 1875, when it was badly damaged during a violent revolution. Rebels, who opposed then-President Tomás Frías, set the palace alight after they failed to storm it. In front of the Palacio Quemado is the bust of former President

Gualberto Villarroel Gualberto Villarroel López (15 December 1908 – 21 July 1946) was a Bolivian military officer who served as the 39th president of Bolivia from 1943 to 1946. A reformist, sometimes compared with Argentina's Juan Perón, he is nonetheless ...

, who was dragged into the plaza by an angry mob and hanged from a lamppost in 1946.

Buildings

The buildings were completed in 1853.

Notes

References

* * * Government buildings in Bolivia Government of Bolivia Buildings and structures in La Paz Presidential residences Spanish Colonial architecture Houses completed in 1825 Buildings and structures in La Paz Department (Bolivia) 1825 establishments in Bolivia {{Bolivia-struct-stub