Fabiana Banzer and Scarlett Rocha became the first same-sex couple to have a civil marriage recorded in Bolivia on Friday (7 August), after a legal battle that lasted three years and 10 months. While this legal victory is historic, it does not mean Bolivia has legalised same-sex marriage nationwide. Article 63 of Bolivia’s Constitution defines marriage as a union between a woman and a man, meaning same-sex marriage remains outside the country’s general legal framework. Bolivia therefore remains one of several South American countries, alongside Peru, Paraguay and Venezuela, where same-sex marriage is not generally recognised in law. Banzer and Rocha’s marriage has created a new legal milestone and another crack in the barriers facing same-sex couples seeking equal recognition in the country.