Bolivia.

It is said that a lodge was established in Bolivia in 1875, but its origin is unknown, possibly Peru or Chile. In the Correspondence Report of the Grand Lodge of Alabama in 1922, it was stated that Bolivia could hardly be said to have a Masonic history and that all lodges there had been chartered from surrounding countries, Peru and Chile being the only known sources up to that time. A Lodge Illiman’s at La Paz is said to have been formed under Chilean warrant in 1916 and composed of two Germans, four Bolivians, two Chileans, two Englishmen, three Italians, one Jugoslav, and one North American. It expired in 1920. There is a record showing that on Aug. 19, 1927, one Gainsbro and one Pool were given the First, Second and Third Degrees of the Scottish Rite in Uruguay for the purpose of carrying Masonry into Bolivia and, on Feb. 9, 1928, by which time Gainsbro had become 33rd Degree, he reported that he had initiated into the Second, Third and Fourth Degrees, 8 who were to start a lodge at Linares, Bolivia, and 8 others who were to organize Lodge Tiahuanuco in the Valley of La Paz, Bolivia, both lodges to owe allegiance to the Supreme Council of Uruguay. That seems to have been the first time that Uruguay had a Masonic footing in Bolivia.

On Nov. 20, 1929, the Grand Lodge of Bolivia was chartered by the Grand Lodge of Chile and was constituted April 12, 1930 with 7 subordinate lodges. It works the Scottish Rite system but permits 2 lodges to use the York Rite according to the ceremonies of the United Grand Lodge of England. In 1946, it had 16 lodges, 8 at Potosi, 1 at Sucre, 1 at Cochabamba, 2 at Oruro, 1 at Cobija, 1 at Uncia, 1 at Uyuni, and there are others in process of formation. Sucre is the legal capital but La Paz, with a population of 250,000, is where the government offices are located, but the strange fact is that there appear to be no lodges at the latter place.