Bolivian bishops defend cardinal's vote in autonomy referendum

Published: 2008-05-06

LA PAZ, Bolivia (CNS) -- The Bolivian Catholic bishops' conference defended a cardinal's decision to vote in an autonomy referendum in the eastern department of Santa Cruz. The bishops said Santa Cruz Cardinal Julio Terrazas Sandoval "is a citizen of Bolivia and Santa Cruz, and as such has the legitimate right to vote. This civic responsibility is not incompatible with his position as president of the Bolivian bishops' conference and leader of the Catholic Church." Minister of the Presidency Juan Ramon Quintana criticized Cardinal Terrazas for casting a ballot in the referendum, which President Evo Morales had declared illegal. On May 5, the Santa Cruz Electoral Court reported that with 34 percent of the votes counted slightly more than 84 percent of the ballots favored the autonomy statutes and slightly more than 15 percent opposed them. The majority of voters opted to accept an "autonomy statute" that would give the region of Santa Cruz, which generates about one-third of the country's gross domestic product, the power to manage matters such as land ownership, the use of natural resources and health care and education, as well as establish its own judiciary.

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