Today’s Video: Santa Cruz – the aftermath

Over the weekend we showed videos of before and during the autonomy vote in the Bolivian region of Santa Cruz. With one-third of the votes counted, the pro-autonomy vote leads by roughly a four-to-one margin. Both the U.S. and Venezuelan governments have opined over yesterday’s referendum while tensions continue between factions for and against Morales administration.

The following video is a news report from Bolivian television which alleged that voting irregularities and high abstentions took place during Sunday’s vote:

Sources- The Latin Americanist, Xinhua, Reuters India, YouTube, AFP

Today’s Video: Voting in Santa Cruz, Bolivia

A controversial referendum took place on Sunday in the region of Santa Cruz, Bolivia over the autonomy of the area. Exit polls showed that 84% of voters chose for the energy-rich region to have greater autonomy though that number was not surprising since pro-government factions urged followers to boycott the referendum.

In addition, violence broke out across the region with nearly two dozen injured and one woman who died after inhaling tear gas. President Evo Morales made note of the disturbances in a speech on Sunday night and added that the referendum "failed categorically."

Below is a very brief clip on Sunday's events as reported by Colombia's Noticias Caracol:


Sources- Reuters, Bloomberg, Monsters & Critics. Mercopress, YouTube

Today’s Video: Bolivia’s autonomy vote

The Bolivian region of Santa Cruz is preparing for a referendum on Sunday that may lead to further divisions in the country. The autonomy vote pits factions against the government’s reforms versus President Evo Morales who has declared the referendum as illegal.

In the following video, AlJazeeraEnglish examines the differing sides arguing for and against increased autonomy in Santa Cruz:

Sources- BBC News, Reuters UK, YouTube, Associated Press

Bolivia: Strike cripples Santa Cruz airport

Bolivia’s busiest airport was shutdown on Wednesday after employees went on a one day strike. All flights at Viru Viru International Airport were cancelled as workers demanded two months back pay from the government. The government has frozen the wages while investigating alleged corruption at the airport.

The airport located in Santa Cruz was the site of incidents last month when thousands of locals overran the facility after the withdrawal of government troops. Santa Cruz has been the epicenter of disagreements between the federal government and local political factions.

Image- PRESS TV

Sources- The Economist, The Latin Americanist, International Herald Tribune, Xinhua