Link
Bolivia province eyes autonomy
April 28, 2008
By Martin Arostegui - SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — Bolivia is bracing for an upcoming vote for autonomy in the eastern and energy-rich province of Santa Cruz that government officials fear could spark civil war.
At issue is a measure that would create a separate constitution, legislature and security force for the main eastern region of Santa Cruz. Three neighboring provinces are expected to approve similar measures in referenda next month.
To some, including Bolivian President Evo Morales, approval of the Santa Cruz measure in a scheduled referendum Sunday would amount to a de facto declaration of independence from the central government in La Paz.
Local officials, however, call that charge an exaggeration.
"We are only proposing the kind of federal system that exists in the United States," said Santa Cruz Gov. Ruben Costas.
The plebiscite, which is expected to pass by a wide margin, reflects growing opposition to Mr. Morales' plans to remake Bolivia into a socialist state by taking control of huge natural gas reserves in the nation's eastern lowlands.
Mr. Morales also is determined to seize large landholdings and put them under the control of peasant collectives.
A new generation of leftist leaders, wooed by vast oil wealth available to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is creating a larger divide in Latin America.
"Imperialism has created the autonomy movement to split Bolivia," Mr. Chavez told a political rally last week in Caracas, Venezuela.
"Bolivia is about to explode," Mr. Chavez also warned during a summit with Mr. Morales.
Also at the meeting in the Venezuelan capital was Cuban Vice President Carlos Lage, who read a joint statement accusing the United States of trying to create a "Kosovo" in Bolivia's hydrocarbon-rich eastern region around Santa Cruz.
Cuba and Venezuela are not alone in warning about a crisis.
A special envoy of the Organization of American States, Dante Caputo, recently abandoned efforts to mediate between Mr. Morales and eastern governors, warning that the conflict was headed toward "violent events."
Santa Cruz authorities have been campaigning hard for locally drafted legal statutes aimed at protecting private ownership of land and natural resources that are threatened by laws enacted in the Bolivian Congress or imposed by Mr. Morales using executive decree.
Mr. Morales, who took power in early 2006, signed a decree later that year declaring that all natural gas reserves — the continent's second largest after Venezuela — would be nationalized.
Another pro-autonomy vote surpassed 70 percent in Santa Cruz and the neighboring provinces of Tarija, Beni and Pando during the national plebiscite two years ago.
Attempts to break away from central government control have an ethnic dimension, pitting Bolivians of European descent in the energy-rich east against impoverished Bolivians of Indian descent in La Paz and in central valleys, Mr. Morales' main support base.
Violent clashes have intensified in the countdown to Santa Cruz's referendum.
One landowner said he was thrown off his property north of Santa Cruz last week by armed militants who threatened to lynch him.
Some have taken the law into their hands. Ronald Larsen, an American who owns nearly 400,000 acres of property south of Santa Cruz, has organized a vigilante force against efforts to seize his estate, which contains rich gas reserves.
Alejandro Almaraz, a vice minister in Mr. Morales' government, was forced to abandon attempts to break through road blockades around Mr. Larsen's estate after 40 people were wounded in a shootout last week.
Mr. Almaraz said afterward that he will return to liberate people on the estate who he says are being held as "slaves."
The Kosovo of Latin America
Moderators: Alyrium Denryle, Edi, K. A. Pital
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MKSheppard
- Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
- Posts: 29842
- Joined: 2002-07-06 06:34pm
The Kosovo of Latin America
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
-
MKSheppard
- Ruthless Genocidal Warmonger
- Posts: 29842
- Joined: 2002-07-06 06:34pm
UPDATE:
Link
Province scorns Bolivia
May 5, 2008
By Martin Arostegui - SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — The wealthy eastern province of Santa Cruz defied the central government of leftist President Evo Morales by holding a referendum on regional autonomy that appeared to win overwhelming approval yesterday.
Exit polls showed the referendum passing with 85 percent support in an election marred by clashes between supporters and opponents of the vote, which Mr. Morales had called illegal.
Official results will not be available for days.
"Totalitarian centralism is finished in Bolivia," said Santa Cruz Gov. Ruben Costas.
Mr. Costas called on the central government in La Paz to accept the "new reality" of a freer and more modern country led from its wealthier eastern lowland regions.
Mr. Morales, in an interview with the Associated Press, called the referendum illegal, unconstitutional and dictatorial. The vote proceeded despite an order by Bolivia's top electoral court to postpone it.
After the vote yesterday, Mr. Morales claimed that as many as half the ballots were invalid. He stressed that the high level of abstention, combined with the "no" votes, robbed the referendum of any legitimacy.
"The referendum failed completely," he said in a nationally televised address.
He also called for dialogue with opposition governors pushing for autonomy.
"Let's work together tomorrow for a true autonomy," he said. "For the people, and not just certain groups — an autonomy that permits the people to decide their destiny."
A celebratory mood in the provincial capital, also called Santa Cruz, belied outbreaks of violence elsewhere and the threat of more violence to come.
Green-and-white provincial flags fluttered from cars in a city painted with pro-autonomy graffiti and anti-Morales slogans.
Mr. Costas said the first move of a new regional government would be to call elections for a local "legislative assembly" to enact locally drafted statutes and assume "important decisions."
Neighboring eastern provinces of Tarija, Beni and Pando are holding referendums for self-rule next month, and petition drives for similar moves are proceeding in Chuquisaca and Cochabamba.
As Mr. Costas spoke, more than 5,000 militants of Mr. Morales' ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party blockaded key choke points, preventing people from voting. Voting stations and ballot boxes were destroyed in the towns of Yapacani and San Julian.
Several Santa Cruz suburbs reported similar attacks against polling places by armed Indian mobs led by local MAS officials.
Witnesses said that some of the MAS supporters were armed with machetes, handguns and dynamite.
At least 20 people were reported injured. An unconfirmed report said a 70-year-old man was killed.
The referendum calls for the creation of a state legislature and state police. It also would wrest control of the state's considerable natural gas reserves from the central government.
In addition, it would block Mr. Morales' plans to seize huge soy plantations, cattle ranches and other large landholdings and give them to peasant collectives.
Long isolated from Bolivia's high-altitude capital of La Paz, rural Santa Cruz has sought greater self-rule for generations. But the autonomy movement took off after Mr. Morales' 2005 election as Bolivia's first Indian president.
Mr. Morales, a close ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is attempting to nationalize the nation's energy reserves, giant landholdings and other resources located mainly in the east.
His goal is to redistribute the region's wealth to poor, mainly Indian populations in Andean highlands of the west. The effort has exacerbated ethnic tensions with easterners, most of whom have some European ancestry.
For yesterday's vote, a hastily improvised local security force replaced national police, who reportedly had been ordered by Mr. Morales to withhold protection from polling places.
Concentric rings of local gendarmes and a ''civil guard'' composed of pro-autonomy militants from the regional capital clashed with central government groups that turned up at several polling stations, demanding that the voting cease.
Interior Minister Alfredo Rada blamed the violence on pro-autonomy leaders.
He said that central government peasant supporters were attacked by pro-autonomy Santa Cruz youths.
"Death to Governor Ruben Costas," cried a peasant leader addressing a massive rally in La Paz.
Threats to lynch government opponents reverberated at another rally in Cochabamba, where Mr. Morales was scheduled to speak.
''We have been receiving a high volume of threats,'' Mr. Costas told The Washington Times. "Life for my family has become hell."
The president of the local chamber of commerce, Gabriel Dabdoub, showed on television a severed goat's head he said he received at his doorstep, with a note ordering him to leave Bolivia.
Other central government opponents reported persistent telephone threats.
A Santa Cruz newspaper editor said she has become particularly terrified by text messages that give details of her daughter's school schedule.
"We will not be intimidated from achieving our goal of creating an autonomic model for all of Bolivia," said Mr. Costas, who blames the campaign of violence and harassment on some of Mr. Morales' chief advisers.
Link
Province scorns Bolivia
May 5, 2008
By Martin Arostegui - SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia — The wealthy eastern province of Santa Cruz defied the central government of leftist President Evo Morales by holding a referendum on regional autonomy that appeared to win overwhelming approval yesterday.
Exit polls showed the referendum passing with 85 percent support in an election marred by clashes between supporters and opponents of the vote, which Mr. Morales had called illegal.
Official results will not be available for days.
"Totalitarian centralism is finished in Bolivia," said Santa Cruz Gov. Ruben Costas.
Mr. Costas called on the central government in La Paz to accept the "new reality" of a freer and more modern country led from its wealthier eastern lowland regions.
Mr. Morales, in an interview with the Associated Press, called the referendum illegal, unconstitutional and dictatorial. The vote proceeded despite an order by Bolivia's top electoral court to postpone it.
After the vote yesterday, Mr. Morales claimed that as many as half the ballots were invalid. He stressed that the high level of abstention, combined with the "no" votes, robbed the referendum of any legitimacy.
"The referendum failed completely," he said in a nationally televised address.
He also called for dialogue with opposition governors pushing for autonomy.
"Let's work together tomorrow for a true autonomy," he said. "For the people, and not just certain groups — an autonomy that permits the people to decide their destiny."
A celebratory mood in the provincial capital, also called Santa Cruz, belied outbreaks of violence elsewhere and the threat of more violence to come.
Green-and-white provincial flags fluttered from cars in a city painted with pro-autonomy graffiti and anti-Morales slogans.
Mr. Costas said the first move of a new regional government would be to call elections for a local "legislative assembly" to enact locally drafted statutes and assume "important decisions."
Neighboring eastern provinces of Tarija, Beni and Pando are holding referendums for self-rule next month, and petition drives for similar moves are proceeding in Chuquisaca and Cochabamba.
As Mr. Costas spoke, more than 5,000 militants of Mr. Morales' ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party blockaded key choke points, preventing people from voting. Voting stations and ballot boxes were destroyed in the towns of Yapacani and San Julian.
Several Santa Cruz suburbs reported similar attacks against polling places by armed Indian mobs led by local MAS officials.
Witnesses said that some of the MAS supporters were armed with machetes, handguns and dynamite.
At least 20 people were reported injured. An unconfirmed report said a 70-year-old man was killed.
The referendum calls for the creation of a state legislature and state police. It also would wrest control of the state's considerable natural gas reserves from the central government.
In addition, it would block Mr. Morales' plans to seize huge soy plantations, cattle ranches and other large landholdings and give them to peasant collectives.
Long isolated from Bolivia's high-altitude capital of La Paz, rural Santa Cruz has sought greater self-rule for generations. But the autonomy movement took off after Mr. Morales' 2005 election as Bolivia's first Indian president.
Mr. Morales, a close ally of leftist Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, is attempting to nationalize the nation's energy reserves, giant landholdings and other resources located mainly in the east.
His goal is to redistribute the region's wealth to poor, mainly Indian populations in Andean highlands of the west. The effort has exacerbated ethnic tensions with easterners, most of whom have some European ancestry.
For yesterday's vote, a hastily improvised local security force replaced national police, who reportedly had been ordered by Mr. Morales to withhold protection from polling places.
Concentric rings of local gendarmes and a ''civil guard'' composed of pro-autonomy militants from the regional capital clashed with central government groups that turned up at several polling stations, demanding that the voting cease.
Interior Minister Alfredo Rada blamed the violence on pro-autonomy leaders.
He said that central government peasant supporters were attacked by pro-autonomy Santa Cruz youths.
"Death to Governor Ruben Costas," cried a peasant leader addressing a massive rally in La Paz.
Threats to lynch government opponents reverberated at another rally in Cochabamba, where Mr. Morales was scheduled to speak.
''We have been receiving a high volume of threats,'' Mr. Costas told The Washington Times. "Life for my family has become hell."
The president of the local chamber of commerce, Gabriel Dabdoub, showed on television a severed goat's head he said he received at his doorstep, with a note ordering him to leave Bolivia.
Other central government opponents reported persistent telephone threats.
A Santa Cruz newspaper editor said she has become particularly terrified by text messages that give details of her daughter's school schedule.
"We will not be intimidated from achieving our goal of creating an autonomic model for all of Bolivia," said Mr. Costas, who blames the campaign of violence and harassment on some of Mr. Morales' chief advisers.
"If scientists and inventors who develop disease cures and useful technologies don't get lifetime royalties, I'd like to know what fucking rationale you have for some guy getting lifetime royalties for writing an episode of Full House." - Mike Wong
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
"The present air situation in the Pacific is entirely the result of fighting a fifth rate air power." - U.S. Navy Memo - 24 July 1944
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scythewielder
- Youngling
- Posts: 55
- Joined: 2006-01-05 03:57pm
- Location: Far to the south
While I can assume that the referendum may be illegal or unconstitutional, understanding that I have no legal basis to argue in either direction, I don't see how it could be called "dictatorial".Mr. Morales, in an interview with the Associated Press, called the referendum illegal, unconstitutional and dictatorial. The vote proceeded despite an order by Bolivia's top electoral court to postpone it.
On the other hand, preventing people from voting and destroying ballot boxes is closer to what I'd consider, if not "dictatorial" then at least authoritarian or undemocratic.As Mr. Costas spoke, more than 5,000 militants of Mr. Morales' ruling Movement Towards Socialism (MAS) party blockaded key choke points, preventing people from voting. Voting stations and ballot boxes were destroyed in the towns of Yapacani and San Julian.
...
Concentric rings of local gendarmes and a ''civil guard'' composed of pro-autonomy militants from the regional capital clashed with central government groups that turned up at several polling stations, demanding that the voting cease.
Even if there are greedy economy and political interests behind this autonomy movement, which seems clear, confronting possible or actual illegality with violence and repression means than we won't be seeing an easy opportunity for reconciliation any time soon and the situation could get worse.
Of course, it would have been preferable to decisively resolve the entire issue beforehand, either avoiding the referendum as a whole or going through all the necessary hoops first to make it legally valid. Instead of having to deal with this mess both during and after the vote.