Bolivian President
Summons Governors To
Alleviate Political
Crisis
Bolivian President Evo
Morales Thursday called
governors of all nine
provinces to meet over
the political crisis
triggered by an autonomy
referendum in the rich
province of Santa Cruz.
At the meeting,
scheduled Monday
afternoon in La Paz,
Morales and his
governors will "discuss,
debate and guarantee
autonomy," the president
said in a televised
speech.
"I repeat, with social
justice, with equality,
with unity of all our
people to build an
autonomy for the
national majorities, Iam
willing to work together
with the governors for
an autonomy forall
Bolivians, an autonomy
that unites, an autonomy
with social justice."
However, governors from
the provinces of Tarija,
Beni and Pando, where
autonomy referendums are
scheduled in June, said
Thursday that they would
not meet with Morales
before the referendums.
The crisis came after
the richest province of
Santa Cruz voted in
favor of autonomy from
the central government
in a referendum on May
4, when clashes between
supporters and opponents
of Moralesleft one
person dead and more
than 30 others injured.
Tensions have prevailed
throughout Santa Cruz as
the Morales-led
government labeled the
referendum illegal.
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