The song, whose lyrics include “From Bolivia we sing to you, Croatia in my heart“ and “From Bolivia we cheer you on, our Vatreni champions“, has been spreading across social media as Croatia prepares for its opening match against England on Wednesday.
The song was written by Ivo Eterović Peredo, a trauma surgeon and amateur poet of Croatian descent, and is performed in the rhythm of the Bolivian caporal folk dance.
“The song Croacia, desde Bolivia te cantamos was born out of pride in my ancestors,“ Eterović Peredo told the La Voz de Croacia portal.
Around 5,000 Croats and their descendants live in Bolivia. Croatian migrants began arriving there in the late 19th century, with further waves of immigration during the 20th century for economic and political reasons.
Eterović Peredo, who previously served as chief physician of the Bolivian Football Federation, said he had closely followed Croatia’s performances at the last three World Cups.
Recalling Croatia’s 3-0 victory over Argentina at the 2018 World Cup, he said he had watched the match alone at a congress in Colombia while surrounded by Argentine supporters.
“Croatia won that match, and that inspired me to write this song,“ he said.
One line of the song declares: “From the Adriatic to the Andes, one story has united us.“
Although Bolivia failed to qualify for the World Cup, Eterović Peredo is well known in the country for defending Bolivia’s right to play international football matches at high altitude, despite opposition from football powers such as Argentina and Brazil.