Bolivian Referendum Gives It's Largest State Autonomy Amidst Protests

Mon05May2008

Bolivian Referendum Gives It's Largest State Autonomy Amidst Protests

According to the most recent exit polls, a referendum in Santa Cruz, Bolivia has given that largest state autonomy from the central government. While supporters of the effort hit the streets to celebrate a victory, the election was colored by violence between the two sides. President Evo Morales declared the vote a failure.

This illegal and unconstitutional poll has not had the success that some families and groups in the state of Santa Cruz had hoped for," Morales said.
The president said nearly 40 percent of eligible voters did not go to the polls -- and that their absence amounted to a rejection of autonomy effort, which pits an eastern state rich in oil and natural gas with a central government led by a leftist president.

Of course, nothing political happens in Latin America without Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez giving his take on matters. Chavez said that the vote was a plan supported by U.S. President Bush to destabilize the region.

Besides being an issue of access to natural resources and wealth, that Santa Cruz and other states want to protect from nationalization, there is also a racial/ethnic angle. President Evo Morales is Bolivia's first Indigenous President. A main focus of his office has been more inclusion of the majority, yet politically marginalized native population. The inhabitants of the eastern lowlands, where the wealth and natural resources are, are largely of European descent.

"Why did these oligarchs that are pushing for autonomy want our vote now?" asks Marina, a woman of the Aymara indigenous group who has been living in Plan 3000, a humble neighbourhood of mud roads on the edge of Santa Cruz city, for the past 45 years.
"They always hated us, the indigenous people, they still do and they will always will. We suffer because of them.
"The autonomy they are proposing is nothing more than a trick to keep strangling the poor," she added.

Image Via / Aftenposten

Via / CNN, BBC, TVN (Chilean National Television)

Bolivia and Venezuela : Get out Yanqui. Yanqui: No You Get Out! (Friday, Sep 12 2008)
Evo Morales's Position in Bolivia is Safe (for Now) (Monday, Aug 11 2008)

Maegan la Mala

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1. J.P. Anderson ~ Friday, Sep 12 2008 | 10:40H:

Watching The news reports on Bolivia, I see how biased they are. Morales, like Chavez,and Castro control the news media and everything through terror tactics. They always interview the indegenous Aymara or Qechua Ande natives which historicaly have tried to enslave the low lands and their inhabitants the guarani indians. The issue goes back to the Incas and their Monarchy. This country has been divided through- out history, with the highlanders always trying to impose their rule over the low-landers. In the 60's Siles Suazo a highland president legaly disarmed the people of Santa Cruz, took all of their hunting rifles, then months later armed 30,000 Okureno indians and sent them on a mission to invade a helpless civilian population. The results were tragic, with violent massacres, rapes, human degradation and take over by force by the high-landers.Morales indigenous groups represent 6 million versus 3 million of the lowlanders, he is pressing for a civil war with Chavez and Castro aid. The Cuban's and Venezuelan's have infiltrated comandos into Bolivia desguised as good-will agricultural,technical and medical advisors, this started as early as 1997, a sinister plan that is playing out as I write! All the propaganda excuses and cover-ups can't hide the truth, it is evident that Morales wants to impose his Dictator rules on all the freedom seeking people of Bolivia at any cost!!

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