Bolivia’s cliff-side ‘suicide homes’ are hanging 200 feet high as erosion threatens

In El Alto, Bolivia, a row of precarious structures known as “suicide homes” cling to the edge of a 200-foot cliff (61 meters).

These dwellings, often used by Aymara shamans for rituals honoring Pachamama (Mother Earth), are increasingly unstable due to erosion from heavy rains and climate change.

City authorities have warned residents of the imminent danger and are considering forced evacuations.

Despite the risks, the shamans refuse to leave, believing their spiritual offerings will stabilize the land and protect them.

The shamans entrust themselves to the Andean gods to protect the precarious constructions located on the edge of the abyss that rain, wind, and erosion threaten to collapse.

Bolivia's capital, La Paz, extends below, with its neighborhoods as if hanging from the slope.

In recent years, the erosion of the mountain range has accelerated due to climate change.

A month ago, rain caused a mudslide that buried an entire neighborhood and took the life of a girl.

For this reason, the El Alto mayor's office authorities have notified the shamans to vacate the area due to the danger of landslides.

According to geological studies, the site is not a rock formation but sandy and clayey soil.

The area has been sacred to the Aymara indigenous people since pre-Hispanic times.

During colonial times, the shamans performed rituals on that summit before entering the city with their caravan of llamas carrying agricultural products.

AP Video by Carlos Guerrero