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| Bolivia tense amid autonomy push | |
| (about 10 hours later) | |
| Security forces are on alert in Bolivia, ahead of rallies planned in four of the country's richest regions. | |
| The four provinces are set to declare autonomy at the demonstrations, after the wealthiest province, Santa Cruz, passed a key tax reform measure. | |
| The regions are angry at a new draft national constitution that includes greater state control of the economy. | |
| But the president has warned against taking steps towards autonomy and extra police and soldiers have been deployed. | |
| The draft constitution has already been the trigger of violence, with at least three people killed in the central city of Sucre in clashes in November. | |
| Natural resources | Natural resources |
| The Santa Cruz assembly backed a statute under which the region would keep two-thirds of its tax revenues on Thursday. | |
| Will Bolivia's splits widen? | Will Bolivia's splits widen? |
| Three other regions - Tarija, Beni and Pando - are planning similar declarations at rallies on Saturday. Once the autonomy charters are declared, they will be put to the local populations for approval. | |
| Four hundred extra police have been sent to Santa Cruz, and the army has been told to prepare to protect public buildings. | |
| The moves towards autonomy come after an assembly dominated by supporters of President Evo Morales adopted the new national charter article by article last weekend. | |
| It must still be put to a national referendum. | |
| Mr Morales made rewriting the constitution a key part of his reform agenda to give the indigenous majority greater political power, but the issue has deepened regional and ethnic divisions in the country. | |
| Indigenous rights | |
| Low-lying Santa Cruz is the most prosperous part of South America's poorest country, having major agricultural businesses and much of Bolivia's oil and gas wealth. | Low-lying Santa Cruz is the most prosperous part of South America's poorest country, having major agricultural businesses and much of Bolivia's oil and gas wealth. |
| Pro-autonomy supporters object to the new constitution, which would allow consecutive five-year presidential terms, increase indigenous rights and redistribute wealth to the poorer highland areas of Bolivia. | Pro-autonomy supporters object to the new constitution, which would allow consecutive five-year presidential terms, increase indigenous rights and redistribute wealth to the poorer highland areas of Bolivia. |
| On Thursday, Mr Morales called for dialogue, but warned that the unity of Bolivia was inviolable. | On Thursday, Mr Morales called for dialogue, but warned that the unity of Bolivia was inviolable. |
| "The unity of the country is untouchable, it is not up for discussion. There is no referendum to be held on the country's unity," Mr Morales said. | "The unity of the country is untouchable, it is not up for discussion. There is no referendum to be held on the country's unity," Mr Morales said. |
| There were frequent demonstrations - both for and against - during the debate over constitutional reforms, with protests sometimes turning violent. | There were frequent demonstrations - both for and against - during the debate over constitutional reforms, with protests sometimes turning violent. |