EL ALTO, BOLIVIA, 2nd November 2014. Detail of a typical altar or mesa for Todos Santos festival and a pink cross with the name of a women who was the recent victim of femicide and domestic violence. These altars are built to welcome the souls of loved ones who it is believed return to Earth on November 1st to visit their families. According to a WHO report in January 2013 Bolivia is the country with the highest rate of violence against women in Latin America. Credit: James Brunker / Alamy Live News

• Contributor: James Brunker News / Alamy Stock Photo
• Image ID: E9TYA8
• File size: 47.7 MB (2 MB Compressed download)
• Releases: Model - no | Property - no
• Dimensions: 3333 x 5000 px | 28.2 x 42.3 cm | 11.1 x 16.7 inches | 300dpi
• Date taken: 2 November 2014
• Location: El Alto, Bolivia

More information

This image could have imperfections as it’s either historical or reportage.

In Bolivia during the Todos Santos festival altars are built to welcome the souls of loved ones who it is believed return to Earth on November 1st to visit their families. These special bread loaves (called tantahuahuas) represent the souls of the dead and are an important part of the offerings used to decorate the altar. On November 2nd people visit cemeteries to say goodbye to the souls for another year. Increasingly the festival is also being used to highlight victims of crimes, violence against women is currently a high profile issue in Bolivia