Greater autonomy is always a threat to the stability of country. I am not able to understand the connection between the autonomy and the eradication of poverty in Bolivia. States should not have the absolute financial power in any country, it pushes the states to separatism.

Referendum is illegal and I doubt there is a hope that it'll benefit the common masses for reason being many. this is merely an eyewash and will only favor affluent ppl to gain more control of power, revenue as much as natural sources and so on so forth. Particularly, the indigenous immigrates, who once played a vital role in building the economy, will bear the burnt of whole political drama. So contrary to Ruben Costas' saying that referendum will give birth to a new republic, I'd add that it will be the delight of a few and scourge for many.

well, there remains reasons for one to be suspicious on Bolivian push for the autonomy. yes, there are so many issues that irks the so-called move for the autonomy. the electoral court is going forward with the move without the electoral court's backing. can you imagine or trust any such a move or whether there is still a hope for the elections being credible. well, frankly speaking I doubt from the core of my heart even if the referendum will be passed. Secondly, a govt. that was negligent to add autonomy in constitution will certainly left loopholes that will allow it to escape through.

AS Santa Cruz polls for the autonomy, it's highly unlikely that Evo Morales will accept this move. though the vote is called for giving more power to state govt. and there are hard possibilities that a power struggle between central and provincial govt will commence. This will lead, I afraid, for a secession. Secondly the fate of the referendum remains under suspicion as Morales has called it unofficial. so what is next is unknown but with this move, Bolivia seems more in distress than rising.

It seems, Boliva is on the verge of breakup. The referendum has exposed the rich-poor divide. The rich elite in fact have fueled the autonomy movement. However, the move can never bring the country out of poverty; rather it’ll boost the gap between the rich and the poor. If Morales has to uplift the indigenous poor, he has to do something for equal distribution of wealth amongst provinces, which if put into practice will only invite ire of the rich.

Morales’s idea of equality is apparently flawed in the contemporary world; the government needs to act more diplomatically. The current policies would escalate poverty. You cannot take rights from those who’ve more and hand over to those who have less, but the problem is – all are endowed with the same rights. Less opportunity doesn’t necessarily means less rights. You can eradicate poverty by distributing wealth of the rich to the poor. Who is the government to decide who should be equal and how? Santa Cruz should not pay the price of being prosperous.

Greater autonomy for Santa Cruz was a long standing demand. It is desirable too. But I don't think giving greater autonomy will lead Bolivia out of poverty because this would mean that the poorer regions that were dependent upon the richer regions will have no means to make ends meet. With the government's say minimized it may lead to greater divide between the rich and the poor regions and may eventually be cause for domestic instability.