July 24, 2007 [LINK / comment]
In another sign of sharpening ethnic and regional divisions within Bolivia, many of the opponents to President Evo Morales have proposed moving the seat of government from La Paz, where it has been for about a century, to Sucre. At present only the Supreme Court sits in Sucre, which is a beautiful colonial city in the central part of the country, at a lower elevation than La Paz. That would make it more accessible to the easterners in the boom city of Santa Cruz who are more modern and pro-business in outlook, and hence more conservative. In response, supporters of President Morales have staged large demonstrations to insist that the capital stay where it is, in La Paz. See CNN.com and my Bolivia photo gallery