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January 26, 2009 [LINK / comment]
New constitution for Bolivia
Based on early returns, it appears that almost three-fifths of the people of Bolivia voted to approve a revised constitution that would greatly enhance the powers of the president. (Note that this is exactly what happened in Ecuador last September.) President Evo Morales announced his historic triumph in a speech from the palace balcony, proclaiming a new era of "equality for all Bolivians." It was by no means a landslide, however: Between 56 and 60 percent of voters approved the new basic charter, and this support was concentrated in the highlands of western and central Bolivia. The eastern lowlands, where the country's petroleum and gas are centered, voted against Morales. This includes the departments of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando. Morales compromised on some of the provisions in response to violent protests against his government last year. New elections for the executive and legislative branches will be held in December. See BBC and the Washington Post.
Morales thus follows Presidents Hugo Chavez of Venezuela and Rafael Correa of Ecuador in radically restructuring government power, putting more power in the hands of the people. (In Bolivia's case, this means Native American Indian people.) Whether this populistic majoritarian model of democracy can survive for very long in a country with a history of instability such as Bolivia is an open question. The opponents of Morales are very likely to push harder for regional autonomy, and an open civil war of secession is entirely possible.
Web page updates
I have updated the Latin America Introduction page and the Latin America Current situation page.
Posted (or last updated or commented upon): 26 Jan 2009, 11: 55 PM
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January 5, 2009 Illegal immigration: no problem
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March 13, 2009 Tax revolt in Augusta County!
March 14, 2009 Mexican Army counterattacks
March 27, 2009 Facebook: resistance is futile
April 5, 2009 RPV chair Frederick is removed
April 8, 2009 Fujimori is convicted, again
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June 28, 2009 Obama's health care proposals
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July 7, 2009 R.I.P. Michael Jackson, Superstar
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August 27, 2009 R.I.P. Edward M. Kennedy
September 7, 2009 Two clutch homers end Nats' skid
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November 5, 2009 Yankees are the 2009 champions
November 21, 2009 Senate votes on health care
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December 30, 2009 Decade of creation, and destruction
December 30, 2009 Whither the Republican soul?
December 31, 2009 A (half) decade of baseball in D.C.
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