Ongoing instability in Bolivia has begun to attract regional interest.
Instability in Bolivia continues, with violence and civil unrest plaguing all major cities in the Media Luna region. In response to the ongoing crisis, Bolivian President Evo Morales has declared U.S. Ambassador to Bolivia Philip Goldberg persona non grata and has given him 72 hours to leave the country. The Bolivian government does not seem to be in control of the situation, and the issue has begun to attract regional attention.
With Brazil, Argentina, and Colombia all offering to mediate — something Morales has rejected — and Venezuela offering to avenge Morales should his government fall, regional partners appear ready to get involved in the unrest. But the profound political differences between the two sides will be difficult to rectify. While the lowland autonomists seek to maintain control over natural gas tax revenues to implement autonomy, the government needs those revenues to effectively secure the support of the poor indigenous population.
Developments over the past few days have included: