Bolivia: HRF Announces Preliminary Findings as Election Observers

Santa Cruz, BOLIVIA (May 5, 2008) -- In advance of a full report about the referendum for autonomy in the Province of Santa Cruz, Bolivia, the Human Rights Foundation announces its preliminary findings.

HRF’s delegation, led by its Chairman Armando Valladares and by its President Thor Halvorssen, joined a group of international observers from Argentina, Paraguay, and two other non-governmental organizations from the United States. HRF’s delegation included technical assistance from HRF staff arriving from Spain and local HRF-Bolivia staff and directors.

International observers were invited, credentialed, and informed by the electoral body of Santa Cruz (Corte Departmental Electoral), that they would be allowed unrestricted access to all electoral facilities and would be permitted admission to the counting rooms and central electoral headquarters.

HRF visited more than three hundred voting booths during the day, which began at 8 a.m. and concluded shortly after 4 p.m. on Sunday, May 4, 2008. Later that day, HRF witnessed vote-counting at the polling station level and tallying at electoral headquarters.

HRF observed lateness on the part of electoral juries at several polling stations leading to some delays. HRF underlines that from the outset transparency was manifest throughout the process. Further, international and domestic media visited polling stations across Santa Cruz and had access to voting facilities.

HRF was informed by Colonel Ramiro Valdivia, police commandant of the Plan 3000 neighborhood, that a group of individuals had broken into one polling station and stolen and burned the voting material, including voting urns and paperwork. HRF immediately visited other sites in Plan 3000 and witnessed firsthand voter intimidation by groups of individuals who opposed the referendum. They brandished sticks and rocks and prevented voters from entering two of the local voting facilities. In the same neighborhood, an individual opposing the referendum was beaten by a crowd supporting the referendum.

In the town of Montero, HRF witnessed an assault by individuals opposing the referendum who used police-issue tear gas and dynamite to intimidate voters. One voter was wounded during a dynamite explosion, which injured his leg. The victim was rushed to the hospital. The violence in Montero was aimed at scaring voters away from polling stations. At least one polling station was shut down and the voting material (including ballots and voting urns) was burned. Another polling station in Montero was only able to remain open after a large group of people—mostly children between the ages of 9 and 14 years—refused to permit disruptions to occur by gathering at a nearby intersection. HRF took significant oral testimony, photographs, and seized a spent tear gas canister used by those intimidating voters. HRF notes that the Montero polling stations observed lacked police presence.

Other towns where groups opposing the referendum disrupted or sabotaged polling stations include San Julian, Yapacaní, Cuatro Cañadas and El Torno. Acts of violence prevented voting in San Julian and Yapacaní. HRF considers these incidents profoundly disconcerting. According to the electoral body these incidents affected less than 4% of the electoral rolls.

HRF was in constant contact with other international and national observers, as well as electoral body officials and the media. The first official preliminary bulletin was announced at 11:50 p.m. on May 4, 2008, and stated that the “yes” option in favor of the referendum had obtained 81.93% of the votes cast. The official bulletins can be found in the electoral body’s website at www.corteelectoralsc.com.

During the late afternoon, Bolivian media announced that a man had died of a heart attack inside his home. The cause of death was alleged to have been excessive exposure to tear gas. The government has stated that it will investigate the incident.

HRF notes that the vote count has not concluded given that material from some polling stations—where geographic access is only possible by riverboat—has yet to arrive at the headquarters of the main electoral body.

HRF’s full report will be available after the conclusion of the vote count which is expected sometime this week.

HRF is an international nonpartisan organization devoted to defending human rights in the American hemisphere. Its work centers on the twin concepts of freedom of self-determination and freedom from tyranny. These ideals include the belief that all human beings have the rights to speak freely, to associate with those of like mind, and to leave and enter their countries. Individuals in a free society must be accorded equal treatment and due process under law, and must have the opportunity to participate in the governments of their countries; HRF’s ideals likewise find expression in the conviction that all human beings have the right to be free from arbitrary detainment or exile and from interference and coercion in matters of conscience. HRF’s International Council includes former prisoners of conscience Vladimir Bukovsky, Palden Gyatso, Armando Valladares, Ramón J. Velásquez, Elie Wiesel, and Harry Wu.

Contact: Thor Halvorssen, Human Rights Foundation, (212) 246.8486, info@thehrf.org