2026年2月4日、ボリビアのラパス市議会が、カーニバルの張り子の道化「ペピノ」の起源を守るため、2026年を「名誉回復の年」と定める条例を可決した。February 4, 2026 — The city council of La Paz, Bolivia, passed a law declaring 2026 the "year of vindication" of El Pepino, the papier-mache clown of its Carnival.

The municipal council of La Paz, Bolivia, approved an autonomous municipal law on February 4 declaring 2026 the year of vindication for El Pepino, the papier-mache clown figure that is a symbol of La Paz's Carnival. The measure was introduced by councilman Javier Escalier.

Escalier said the law responds to instances in recent years where Pepino costumes were used at cultural events outside Bolivia without acknowledging their origin in La Paz, and aims to strengthen protection against misuse or cultural appropriation. Pepino was declared intangible cultural heritage of the Municipality of La Paz in 2015.

"Pepino is not just a Carnival costume. It is memory, it is living history, and it is part of who we are as a city," Escalier said.

The law directs the municipal executive to pursue safeguarding and promotion measures for the character. At the signing ceremony, a copy of the law was presented to Victor Hugo Blanco Alarcon, who portrays Pepino, alongside those who portray the Chola pacena and the Ch'uta, the trio central to La Paz Carnival.