Yearbook 2008
Bolivia. The constitutional issues also dominated this
year in Bolivia. In August, a vote of confidence was held on
President Evo Morales and the nine provincial governors of
eastern Bolivia (the so-called Crescent Moon) who oppose the
centralization of power to La Paz. Morales received
unequivocal support; nearly 68 percent of voters supported
him, well above the 54 percent with which he won the 2005
presidential election. both President Morales and the
governors who are his opponents strengthened their positions
there.
According to
Countryaah reports, President Morale's strengthened position led to a
political offensive during the second half of the year. In
October he succeeded in agreeing with the opposition in
Congress to approve a legislative package that paves the way
for a referendum on January 25, 2009 on the new constitution
that had been completed since the end of 2007. The
opposition's approval came after several compromises,
including Morales being forced to remove the article on the
possibility of direct re-election of a sitting president.
Provincial self-government will also be expanded if the
Constitution is approved, a change that goes to the
rebellious provinces in the "Crescent" to meet. In parallel
with the issue of the new constitution, the voters in
January will decide on a land reform proposal and a proposal
for the early elections of the next presidential election.
Earlier in the year, domestic political contradictions
were again at their forefront. In September, the hostile
protests in the "Crescent Region" intensified, especially in
Santa Cruz where a right-wing youth group stormed the state
telecommunications company's office, the local land reform
institute and the tax authority. In the other provinces,
roads were blocked. The US's already controversial
ambassador Philip Goldberg was expelled a few days later
after rumors that the activities were organized from the US
embassy.
On September 11, 18 supporters of President Morales were
murdered while on their way to a meeting in the province of
Pando's capital, Cobija. The Mayor and Morales opponent
Leopoldo Fernández was charged with ordering the massacre
and arrested. President Morales issued a state of emergency
in the province which was lifted only after two months,
after the national electoral authority threatened to suspend
the referendum in January.
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