Posted on 05/04/2008 5:37:40 PM PDT by NormsRevenge
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia - Bolivia's largest state voted amid scattered violence Sunday on a measure seeking greater political and economic autonomy from the government of leftist President Evo Morales, who called the vote unconstitutional.
As polls closed Sunday, exit surveys showed the autonomy referendum drawing as much as 85 percent support, though they were conducted by local news media sympathetic to the cause. No margin of error was available.
Minor clashes across Santa Cruz state injured at least 25 people during the politically charged vote, which sought to separate the state's freewheeling capitalism and mixed-blood heritage from Morales' vision of a communal state ruled by indigenous Andean values.
Relatives of a 70-year-old man said he was killed when police fired tear gas to break up one scuffle. The death could not be confirmed by authorities.
Santa Cruz Gov. Ruben Costas downplayed the violence Sunday.
"This is a peaceful revolution," he said. "A new Bolivia is reborn from our decision."
Santa Cruz leaders want autonomy to keep a bigger slice of the state's key natural gas revenues and to shelter vast soy plantations and cattle ranches from Morales' plan to redistribute land to the poor.
Morales, the country's first indigenous president, argues that he needs a strong central government to spread Santa Cruz's wealth to the rest of Bolivia, South America's poorest country.
Three more eastern lowland states — Beni, Pando and Tarija — hold similar autonomy votes in June. And with two other states considering similar referendums, Morales entire political project is threatened.
Across the country in El Alto, near the highland capital of La Paz, pro-Morales demonstrators set fire to the offices of local television station owned by the La Paz state governor, who backs autonomy.
No one is clear exactly how autonomy would alter Bolivia's heavily centralized government, under which state governors were appointed by the president until 2005. The statutes up for approval Sunday create local powers common in many countries, including a state legislature and police force.
Morales, in an interview with The Associated Press, called the measure illegal, unconstitutional and dictatorial. He particularly objects to ambitious clauses that bear the distinct ring of nationhood: control of the state's land distribution and the right to sign international treaties, among others.
The vote went ahead despite an order to postpone it by Bolivia's top electoral court, and few international observers were present.
A celebratory mood prevailed Sunday in most of the state capital, which is also called Santa Cruz.
The state's green-and-white flag fluttered from cars and shop windows, while pro-autonomy graffiti and anti-Morales slogans blanketed walls.
But residents in the poor Santa Cruz neighborhood of Plan 3000 — a bastion of Morales support populated by Indian immigrants from the poorer western highlands — burned ballot boxes Sunday morning.
Santa Cruz leaders insist that they have no intention of seceding. Both sides have dismissed concerns by some international observers that the vote would drive a bitterly divided Bolivia into violence.
Many here expect the vote to precipitate a new round of talks between the president and the opposition over how to proceed.
As polls closed Sunday, exit surveys showed the autonomy referendum drawing as much as 85 percent support, though they were conducted by local news media sympathetic to the cause. No margin of error was available.
If Bolivian troops crush the rebellion, should Columbia pull its ambassador in protest?
Where have I heard that before?
If you are going to hold a vote like that with a marxist like morales in charge, you should have been preparing to fight 6 months ago.
Hey - they can’t leave. Who is Bolivia going to loot and plunder for all the socialist programs if all the wealth leaves?
This is going to piss off Hugo Chavez as much as it does Morales because El Loco has already started Venezuela on the Zimbabwe Road as Morales now wants to do to Bolivia and both of them want to do it to the whole continent.
From ZNet article "Chavez, Morales seek transformation of MERCOSUR trade bloc" of 1/21/07: "The two leaders have joined with Cuba to launch a socialist-oriented accord called the Bolivarian Alternative for the Americas (the ALBA in Spanish, or alternately the "people's Trade Agreement") based upon cooperation, solidarity and complementarity. The ALBA includes provisions in which member nations collaborate in industrial and infrastructure development projects, and provided the greatest benefits to the smallest economy (Bolivia). This past week, newly elected Presidents Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua and Rafael Correa of Ecuador both expressed an interest in joining the ALBA."
Apparently Chavez and Morales challenged the Southern Cone trade bloc (MERCOSUR) to abandon its free market neoliberal roots. They want to establish a hemispheric counterweight to United States.
No need to fight Morales///Peaceful voting (for the most part) has shown him that he has to recalibrate his ways. Hugo had a much stronger military, and Caracas was the most populated city and the capital of Venezuela. In bolivia,,La paz is the capital (in indigenous mountains), but Santa Cruz province has 1/4 the total population of the entire country, has the most wealth, and with 85 % supporting autonomy, Morales can’t just march his troops down there to suppress the people. Those in the military who are no indiginous would refuse to fight. This is totally different politically than Venezuela.
The people are already lsoing faith in Morales, and much of that is due to Hugo. When Evo nationalized the oil and gas industry 2 years ago, Hugo promised cash and expertise to replace the foreign oil companies who he booted. Hugo has not provided either cash or expertise and the natural gas industry is in a shambles. Brazil, Argentina, and Chile are desperate because winter is approaching and their supplies of Bolivian Nat Gas will not be nearly as much in previous years. This is costing Bolivia its MAJOR source of hard currency (the cocaine money is more troublesome, you have to launder it) and the people, even in Morales strongholds in the Andes mountains are getting restless.
Morales is uneducated, and spent today playing soccer instead of attending to business. Weak in mind may be dangerous, but I think Santa Cruz holds the upper hand here/ The other powers (brazil,chile and argentina) will step in to dissuade Evo from doing anything foolish.
update
President Evo Morales rejects Bolivian autonomy vote
DAN KEANE, Associated Press
SANTA CRUZ, Bolivia - Bolivia’s largest and richest state voted amid scattered violence Sunday to seek greater autonomy from the government of leftist President Evo Morales, who dismissed the referendum as a failure.
The eastern lowland state of Santa Cruz, center of Bolivia’s conservative opposition, had called the vote in hopes of separating the state’s freewheeling capitalism and mixed-blood heritage from Morales’ push for a communal state ruled by Indian values.
In the face of local exit polls showing 85 percent of voters favoring the measure, Morales claimed that as many as half the ballots were invalid, quoting media reports.
“The referendum failed completely,” he said in a nationally televised address.
But he ended his remarks with an invitation for more talks with autonomy leaders.
“Let’s work together tomorrow for a true autonomy,” he added. “For the people, and not just certain groups — an autonomy that permits the people to decide their destiny.”
Santa Cruz leaders want to keep a bigger slice of the state’s key natural gas revenues and to shelter vast soy plantations and cattle ranches from Morales’ plan to redistribute land to the poor.
Morales, the country’s first indigenous president, argues that he needs a strong central government to spread Santa Cruz’s wealth to the rest of Bolivia, South America’s poorest country.
Results will not be available for days. But Santa Cruz leaders declared Sunday night that voters embraced a growing tide of decentralization that could cripple Morales’ populist agenda.
“This is not the end of the process,” said Santa Cruz Gov. Ruben Costas, addressing supporters gathered under the palm trees in the central plaza of the state’s namesake capital city. “With your vote, we have begun the most transcendental reform in national memory.”
Minor clashes across Santa Cruz state injured at least 25 people during the vote, and relatives of a 70-year-old man said he was killed when police fired tear gas to break up one scuffle. The death could not be confirmed by authorities.
Morales congratulated protesters for trying to block the vote.
“I want to express my respect for the people of Santa Cruz for their resistance against this separatist referendum,” Morales said. “The people are wise to defend legality, constitutionality and the struggle for equality between Bolivians.”
Three other eastern states — Beni, Pando and Tarija — hold autonomy votes next month.
No one is clear exactly how autonomy would alter Bolivia’s heavily centralized government, under which state governors were appointed by the president until 2005. The statutes up for approval Sunday create local powers common in many countries, including a state legislature and police force.
Morales, in an interview with The Associated Press, called the measure illegal, unconstitutional and dictatorial. He particularly objects to ambitious clauses that bear the distinct ring of nationhood: control of the state’s land distribution and the right to sign international treaties, among others.
The vote went ahead despite an order to postpone it by Bolivia’s top electoral court, and few international observers were present.
A celebratory mood prevailed Sunday in most of the state capital, which is also called Santa Cruz. But residents in the poor Santa Cruz neighborhood of Plan 3000 — a bastion of Morales support populated by Indian immigrants from the poorer western highlands — burned ballot boxes Sunday morning in protest against the vote.
Santa Cruz leaders insist that they have no intention of seceding. Both sides have dismissed concerns by some international observers that the vote would drive a bitterly divided Bolivia into violence.
“This is totally different politically than Venezuela.”
Hope you are right, but see #9
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