A 30yearold Bolivian man was buried alive after passing out from alcohol. He believes he was placed in a coffin as an offering to Pacha Mama, the entity known as Mother Earth. The case was captured during a festival in El Alto, a city in Bolivia.
He said he attended the opening of the Mother Earth Festival held last August 5 and used alcoholic beverages. Suddenly he lost consciousness and woke up in a coffin about 80 kilometers from where the party was held.
The man says when he woke up in the coffin he thought he was in his own bed. “I wanted to get up to urinate, I couldn’t move,” he told a local newspaper. He only realized he was buried when he pushed open the coffin and managed to leave the site. He only had head injuries.
The man told police he was buried as a sacrifice for Pacha Mama. However, the authorities discredited his testimony, as they reported that he was very drunk.
During festivals celebrating Mother Earth, it is common for offerings to be made to the entity, as it is believed that she will reciprocate with bountiful harvests. Offerings given to the goddess range from plants such as coca leaves to live animals such as llamas and sheep.