Vegan butcher shop Tranquilita la Vaca recently opened in Santa Cruz, Bolivia. Founded by Martina Pereira Paz and Belén Abella Ruiz, the shop offers vegan meats, cheeses, and pastries and specializes in vegan versions of traditional Bolivian dishes such as Bolivian Picante Mixto. “This way it could be easier for people to transition into veganism,” Abella Ruiz told VegNews. “We love barbecue; Martina is of Argentine descent so we wanted to make vegan Argentinian Asado.”

Pereira Paz and Abella Ruiz opened Tranquilita la Vaca in an effort to be part of the cruelty-free movement and take action to protect the environment, an issue that strikes close to home. “The Amazon rainforest is still burning, so we have to take action right now to change the way we see animal exploitation and nutrition,” Abella Ruiz said. “We are losing our animal and plant species due to drug trafficking and cattle raising.” 

Pereira Paz and Abella Ruiz hope to eventually expand the brand to other Bolivian cities and one day become a chain throughout South America.