Why Bolivia Has Two Flags: The Tricolor and the Wiphala

Walk past any government building in Bolivia and look up. You will usually see two flags flying together: the familiar horizontal stripes of red, yellow and green, and next to it a square, colorful checkerboard called the wiphala. Travelers often ask our guides: which one is the real flag of Bolivia?

The answer is: both. Here is how that happened.

The tricolor: red, yellow and green

Bolivia's first flag was created on August 17, 1825, just days after independence. It was red and green, with five gold stars. In 1826, under President Antonio José de Sucre, it was changed to include a yellow band.

The flag you see today dates from 1851, under President Manuel Isidoro Belzu. A popular story says Belzu was traveling to Oruro when he saw a rainbow where red, yellow and green stood out — and decided those would be the colors of the nation, in that order: red on top, yellow in the middle, green at the bottom.

The colors are commonly explained like this:

• Red: the blood of the heroes who fought for independence.
• Yellow: the country's mineral wealth.
• Green: the fertility of the land and its nature.

Every August 17, Bolivia celebrates the Día de la Bandera (Flag Day), remembering that first flag of 1825.

The wiphala: 49 squares, seven colors

The wiphala is a square flag made of 7 × 7 = 49 small squares in the seven colors of the rainbow, arranged in diagonal lines. It is a symbol of the Andean Indigenous peoples, especially the Aymara and Quechua.

There are four versions of the wiphala, one for each region (suyu) of the Andean world. The one used in Bolivia is the wiphala of the Qullasuyu, recognizable by its long central diagonal of white squares.

According to the interpretation promoted by Bolivian institutions, each color has a meaning:

• Red: the Earth and the Andean people.
• Orange: society and culture.
• Yellow: energy and strength.
• White: time and change.
• Green: nature and its resources.
• Blue: the cosmos.
• Violet: Andean self-government.

2009: two flags, one country

The 2009 constitution — the same one that created the Plurinational State — lists Bolivia's national symbols in Article 6: the red, yellow and green flag, the national anthem, the coat of arms, the cockade, the flowers of the kantuta and the patujú… and the wiphala.

A few months later, Supreme Decree 241 of August 5, 2009 set the rules: official sizes, colors, and that the wiphala must fly on government buildings alongside the tricolor. Since then you will see it on ministries, schools, the armed forces and official events all over the country.

Many travelers are surprised that it is not just a cultural flag but an official national symbol, with the same standing as the tricolor.

How old is the wiphala?

This is one of the most debated questions in the Andes. Some point to checkered designs in Tiwanaku textiles and ceramics as proof of ancient roots. Many historians answer that there is no clear evidence that the Incas used a flag like this, and that the modern wiphala took shape much more recently, popularized by Indigenous movements in the 20th century.

Either way, for millions of people today it is a powerful symbol of identity, pride and the long struggle of Indigenous peoples for recognition.

A symbol that still moves people

Like the change of the country's name, the wiphala is not free of politics. Some Bolivians see it as a symbol of all Indigenous peoples; others associate it with the governments that made it official. That tension exploded in November 2019, during the political crisis, when videos showed police cutting the wiphala off their uniforms and some protesters burning it. The reaction was immediate: thousands marched under the slogan "la wiphala se respeta" — the wiphala must be respected — and leaders across the political spectrum condemned the burning.

Today both flags continue to fly side by side. Most Bolivians use them without thinking twice — the tricolor at football matches and on August 6, the wiphala at Indigenous celebrations, marches and community events.

Don't confuse it with other rainbow flags

• The Cusco flag (Peru): seven horizontal rainbow stripes. It is the flag of the city of Cusco, not the wiphala.
• The LGBTQ+ pride flag: six horizontal stripes. Completely different meaning.
• The wiphala: a square checkerboard of 49 squares. That is the one you will see in Bolivia.

Where to see both flags on your trip

• Plaza Murillo, La Paz: in front of the Government Palace and the Legislative Assembly.
• Schools and public buildings anywhere in the country.
• August 6 (Independence Day) parades, when the whole country is covered in red, yellow and green.
• Andean celebrations like the Aymara New Year in Tiwanaku on June 21, where the wiphala is everywhere.

Sources and further reading: Wikipedia: Wiphala, Supreme Decree 241 (2009) on Bolivia's national symbols.

Hear the full story in La Paz

Flags, coins, banknotes — in Bolivia, history is in plain sight if you know where to look. Our local guides love sharing these stories on the La Paz City Encounter, included in tours like Bolivia Explorer — 8 Days and Bolivia Elevates — 10 Days.

Keep reading: Two Coins, Two Bolivias, Two Sets of Banknotes, One Country, Why There Are Zebras Directing Traffic in La Paz, or contact us to plan your trip.