Meetings with members of the Croatian community and visits to missionary projects testify to the strong connection between the descendants of emigrants and Croatia, as well as their significant contribution to the development of Bolivian society.
The Director of the Croatian Heritage Foundation, Mijo Marić, and the Editor-in-Chief of the Matica magazine, Jelena Badovinac Dimitrijević, visited the Croatian community in Bolivia from 14 to 19 March 2025. Their trip began with an arrival in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the financial centre of eastern Bolivia, where they were welcomed by members of the Croatian community who had gathered that day to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia in Bolivia, Robert Jakubek, at the Club House estate in the “Alto las Palmas” residential complex.
– Volunteers of the mission, Petra Damjanović and Mirna Lovrić, together with parish catechist Jose Adalid, gave a warm welcome to the representatives of the Foundation at the airport, greeting them with a raised Croatian flag
To mark the occasion, Director Marić gifted the consul a tie featuring a Glagolitic script pattern, while the latest issue of Matica magazine evoked nostalgic memories. Namely, three brothers—Tomislav, Ivo, and Valter Kuljiš—highly successful Croatian entrepreneurs in Bolivia and part of the third generation of Croats there, told the editor-in-chief that some of their fondest childhood memories, apart from their parents’ stories from their native island of Vis, were receiving Matica at their doorstep every month for years. It was heartening to hear that Tomislav Kuljiš’s wife, Alicia—born in Mexico—speaks and understands Croatian quite well. She shared with us that they hope to soon enable their grandchildren to attend Matica’s Little School of Croatian Language and Culture, which takes place annually in Novi Vinodolski.
– At the birthday celebration hosted by the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia in Bolivia, Robert Jakubek
During the dinner, the Director had the opportunity to hear the inspiring life story of emigrant Višnja Domić, as well as moving testimonies from other descendants of Croats who shared their experiences and deep emotional connection with the homeland of their ancestors.
CAPUCHIN MISSION IN MINERO
The representatives of the Croatian Heritage Foundation continued their visit to Croats in Bolivia with a trip to the Capuchin mission in Minero, located 80 kilometres from the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The mission is led by Croatian Missionary Father Ivica Vrbić, together with two friars from Peru. He is supported by Croatian volunteers Petra and Mirna, Bolivian Maira, who also serves as the coordinator of social projects, missionary sisters Mery and Fabiola from the Order of Christ the Thirsty, and secretary Huanita.
– Visit to the Capuchin Mission in Minero, led by Croatian missionary Friar Ivica Vrbić
Prije nekoliko dana Hrvatski Caritas potpisao je sporazum o pomoći izgradnji A few days ago, Caritas Croatia signed an agreement to support the construction of the St. Leopold Mandić Student Residence, which is to be built a few kilometres from the main parish in Minero. By decision of the Government of the Republic of Croatia, the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs allocated €500,000 to Caritas Croatia within the framework of development and humanitarian aid for this purpose. The project is headed by Father Ivica Vrbić, while the technical director of the construction will be the Honorary Consul of the Republic of Croatia in Bolivia, Engineer Robert Jakubek.
The delegation from the Croatian Heritage Foundation visited the site of the future residence and toured numerous mission branches, including those in the villages of San Juan del Carmen and Comunida Guarayos. The activities of the humanitarian mission extend across a wider area, and due to their extraordinary dedication and effort, many impoverished and abandoned children—as well as all others in need—have access to food, medicine, medical and psychological support, as well as educational assistance.
The mission is primarily funded through donations and provides essential living necessities to those in need. Through educational initiatives and religious teaching, it enables better integration of the local population into a society that is extremely impoverished due to the country’s ongoing political instability.
VISIT TO THE MILETA FAMILY IN SAMAIPATA
In Samaipata, a town 200 kilometres from Santa Cruz de la Sierra, the delegation from the Croatian Heritage Foundation was welcomed by the Mileta family, organised by Honorary Consul Jakubek. Pilar Mileta, a member of the third generation of Croatian emigrants, hosted the visit. Her grandfather, Srećko Mileta, arrived in Bolivia after the First World War and planted a vineyard in Samaipata—a town situated at 1,800 metres above sea level. The family still produces wine today and opened an excellent restaurant a few years ago, where they plan to start serving Croatian specialities such as palačinke (crepes) and pašticada (a traditional Dalmatian beef stew).
Srećko Mileta married a Bolivian woman, and their son Dragomir went on to serve as the long-time mayor of Samaipata. Mary, Dragomir’s wife, told us about the family, noting that she and Pilar also have a son and daughter, three of whose children are currently studying in Croatia. The local music society children organised a wonderful welcome in Samaipata, and a memorial house was arranged in honour of their grandfather. Incidentally, the consul himself owns a property in Samaipata, where for years he has been hosting weekend gatherings for Croats living in Bolivia.
CROATIAN COMMUNITY IN SANTA CRUZ
On the final day of his visit to Bolivia, Director Marić visited two schools. The first, organised by Fra Ivica Vrbić, was a state school in a village near Minero. Teaching there takes place in a single classroom using a mixed-age model, where children aged 6 to 12 attend lessons simultaneously, and the teacher delivers different subjects to each of them individually. Director Marić gifted the pupils T-shirts and caps bearing Croatian symbols.
The visit to the Croatian language school was organised by the Croatian community in Santa Cruz. Lessons are held in a beautiful, modern building in Santa Cruz, which is owned by several Croats living in Bolivia. The representatives of the Croatian Heritage Foundation had the opportunity to attend a Croatian language class led for the past ten years by Professor Snježana Dedić. The weekly classes are attended by descendants of Croats, not only from Santa Cruz but also from more remote areas such as Samaipata and Cochabamba.
On this occasion, the Director presented Professor Dedić with valuable publications issued by the Croatian Heritage Foundation – the handbook “A Quite Different Language” and the latest edition of the Croatian Emigrant Almanac, which he described as the work that best encapsulates the richness of the Croatian diaspora, as well as a scarf featuring motifs of traditional Croatian embroidery.
Professor Dedić expressed special thanks to the Head of the Foundation’s Department for Education and Science, Lada Kanajet Šimić, for her continued efforts, which she emphasised are of great importance to the success of their teaching.
A new group has recently begun the Croatian language programme, and Editor-in-Chief Badovinac Dimitrijević encouraged them to write their first sentences in Croatian and send them to the Foundation for publication in the journal.
The entire journey was deeply emotional and inspiring, reaffirming the strong bond between emigrant communities and their homeland. The Croatian Heritage Foundation has continued its mission of strengthening cultural and educational ties, with the meeting with Croats in Bolivia highlighting just how vital it is to maintain these relationships and to support the preservation of Croatian identity across the world.