SANTA CRUZ (Thomson Financial) - Violence erupted at some polling stations in the gas-rich Bolivian province of Santa Cruz on Sunday as the territory held an autonomy referendum.
Demonstrations took place in western parts of Bolivia protesting the Santa Cruz vote, which the military has warned it views as a threat to the nation's territorial integrity.
The referendum in Santa Cruz proposes to adopt statutes that would give authorities control over their province and the right to create their own security force.
The issues are key because the eastern region sits atop the country's biggest gas fields and acts as Bolivia's economic motor.
Pre-vote surveys suggested up to 70 percent of the province's 930,000 voters would back the autonomy move.
The province's electoral commission, which was acting independently of the national one, declared half-way through voting that the process was a success, with problems reported in only 3 percent of the more than 200 polling stations.
Leftwing president Evo Morales' socialist agenda has fuelled resentment in Santa Cruz and the other opposition-run provinces and prompted their autonomy moves.
Morales' program includes rewriting the constitution to give more land and national wealth to the country's indigenous people -- to whom he belongs -- and nationalizing foreign-owned firms. TFN.newsdesk@thomson.com ro COPYRIGHT Copyright Thomson Financial News Limited 2008. All rights reserved. The copying, republication or redistribution of Thomson Financial News Content, including by framing or similar means, is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Thomson Financial News.