2008 Santa Cruz autonomy referendum

Response

Ruben Costas, the governor of Santa Cruz, welcomed the result saying ”With the vote the start of a structural reform of transcendental importance in our nation has been consolidated... The ballot boxes have delivered their verdict: the emissaries of evil cannot impose their bitterness and hate".

The United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights stated in its annual human rights report that the referendums: "took place even though the National Electoral Court ruled that the prefectures did not have the authority to call for such a vote and that they were infringing the Constitution."

A United Nations mission to Bolivia from the Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues later declared that the Santa Cruz autonomy statute "promotes, allows, strengthens and reproduces practices of servitude", referring to conditions of debt-servitude and conditions analogous to slavery that are suffered by some indigenous groups in Santa Cruz. Bartolomé Clavero, a Spanish law professor from the Permanent Forum later stated that: "Anyone who has voted for this statute supports servitude."

Legacy

Evo Morales's government eventually reversed its position on autonomy during the 2009 election, granting autonomy to Santa Cruz in 2010 along similar lines to those requested in 2008.

References

References

1. "Agencia Boliviana de Informacion, 3 May 2009".
2. [http://www.boliviainfoforum.org.uk/documents/535424538_BIF%20Bulletin%20Special%20edition%20May%202008.pdf Bolivia Information Forum Bulletin May 2008]
3. [http://ain-bolivia.org/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=116&Itemid=32 Illegal Autonomy Referendum Deepens Division in Bolivia, Andean Information Network, Thursday, 17 April 2008]
4. [http://www.corteelectoralsc.com/Computo2008/fComputoDepartamentalA.aspx Corte Departmental Electoral de Santa Cruz]{{Dead link. (April 2019)
5. [http://www.corteelectoralsc.com/Computo2008/fComputoDepartamentalA.aspx Corte Departmental Electoral de Santa Cruz]{{Dead link. (April 2019)
6. (5 April 2008). "Pueblos indígenas cruceños declaran su autonomía y no votarán el referendum oligárquico del 4 de mayo".
7. [http://afp.google.com/article/ALeqM5iuy48CI1ocml0QdNgrzCIgX5jZ_w AFP: Defying Morales, two Bolivian provinces back autonomy] {{webarchive. link. (20 May 2011)
8. "Bolivia's richest province votes for autonomy". The Telegraph.
9. [http://ap.ohchr.org/documents/dpage_e.aspx?c=23&su=34 Report of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights on the activities of her office in Bolivia - Addendum]
10. "Erbol, 6 May 2009".
11. "Bolivia's Radical Decentralization". Americas Quarterly.