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• In the Bolivian city of El Alto, David Choque has alarmed his neighbors with his new decorating scheme, Reuters reported. Choque, a miner, hired an artist to create sculptures of long-horned skeletal devils from cement and wood and mount them on the outside of his home.
Choque told Reuters that the sculptures hearken to life in Bolivian mines centuries ago, when indigenous men were forced into digging for silver. Colonial masters would use devil images to scare the men into working.
But some neighbors fear that his decor signals satanic worship. Maria Laurel said she has heard about naked rituals in Choque's house: "The truth is, it frightens me." Choque pooh-poohs this idea: "Closed-minded people will think it's something supernatural, but people need to open their minds and see it as a tourist attraction, something that can improve the area." [Reuters, 2/17/2022]