Sacaba

Sacaba is a capital city and a municipality in the Bolivian province of Chapare. It is located about 13 kilometers east of Cochabamba and is the second largest city in the Cochabamba Department. Visitors can see beautiful old buildings from the time after colonization in the center of Sacaba, although some have been damaged because the city did not take good care of them.

In 2002, Sacaba was the place where people protested against plans to stop growing coca plants. These protests led to the removal of Evo Morales, a leader of the cocalero movement, from his position in the Bolivian congress. Morales was against closing a market for coca in Sacaba. During the protests, there were sad events where people on both sides were hurt. Later, Morales became the president of Bolivia and served from 2006 until 2019.

Demographics

In the year 2001, Sacaba was home to 92,581 people. Because there was not enough space in the city of Cochabamba, many new neighborhoods were built in the area between Sacaba and Cochabamba. These neighborhoods were mostly built for workers from companies based in Cochabamba.

Climate

Sacaba has a temperate climate, much like nearby Cochabamba. In winter, temperatures usually stay between 1 °C and 24 °C, and it doesn’t rain much. In summer, temperatures are between 10 °C and 19 °C, and there is a lot of rain.

Economy

Sacaba is known as a culinary capital in Cochabamba, famous for tasty foods like cuy and other local dishes. The city has many restaurants and special places called chicherias where people make and enjoy chicha, a type of corn beer. People often say, "Sacaba, where the chicha never runs out."

Many people from Sacaba work in the nearby city of Cochabamba. The city has local industries such as making raw food, cereals, and shoes. Its colonial buildings and public markets also attract visitors.