Bolivia Guide
La Paz
Plaza Murillo
Though it remains the epicentre of Bolivia's political life, the Plaza Murillo – the main square of the colonial city centre – has an endearingly provincial feel, busy with people feeding pigeons and eating ice cream in the shade. Known as the Plaza de Armas during the colonial era, the square was renamed after independence in honour of the independence martyr Pedro Domingo Murillo, who was hanged here in 1810 after leading a failed rebellion against the colonial authorities, one of several bloody scenes the square has witnessed during Bolivia's turbulent political past. A statue of Murillo now stands at the centre of the plaza.