More Bolivian provinces opt for autonomy

Voters in a pair of Bolivian provinces chose increased autonomy during referendums held on Sunday. Much like the vote in Santa Cruz last month, the Beni and Pando referendums were declared “illegal” by President Evo Morales yet an estimated 80% opted against the federal government.

For Bolivia, the results of the plebiscites highlight the tensions between the majority indigenous population living in the west and the wealthier minority mainly in the eastern provinces. Yet the results indicate a growing opposition to several left-leaning populist governments in the Americas according to the Christian Science Monitor:

In many cases, the opposition in Latin America has been stunted because they have not "come to grips" with the deep-seated shift under way in the region, says (Inter-American Dialogue analyst Mike) Shifter.

Yet, in part spurred on by (Hugo) Chavez’s ideological war against the traditional elites, the opposition has moved into defense mode…

To opposition leaders in Bolivia, this is proof enough that they must start acting. "Chavez owns the Bolivian government, and is the biggest threat to democracy in Latin America," says Jorge Quiroga, a former Bolivian president who heads Bolivia's main opposition party.

Sources- Christian Science Monitor, AFP, CNN, Monsters & Critics, the Latin Americanist

Image- BBC News (Bolivian woman wearing a pro-autonomy shirt)