In a gesture full of political, historical and diplomatic symbolism, the U.S. Secretary of State, Marco Rubio, returned to Bolivia a crucifix that had been in the hands of former President George H. W. Bush for 35 years. The delivery not only closes a unique story between two families linked to power, but it also reflects a change of climate in the relationship between the two countries
.The origin of this episode dates back to 1990, when the then Bolivian president, Jaime Paz Zamora, presented the crucifix, a piece of deep family value, to Bush during an official visit to Washington. However, the gesture was far from definitive: the American president accepted the object under a condition that would eventually acquire a special meaning. He promised that it would be returned when one of Paz's sons became president of Bolivia
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Thirty-five years later, that promise materialized. The current Bolivian president, Rodrigo Paz, received the relic from Rubio in an act that was interpreted as much more than a simple protocol return. It was a sign of historical continuity, but also of institutional respect and of the fulfillment of commitments between two nations.
