The regional autonomy movement based in Santa Cruz draws on long-standing regional divisions, and it has solidified amid the breakdown of the elite-led political party system and the national election of Evo Morales and the Movimiento al Socialismo (Movement Toward Socialism-MAS). Critics and national government supporters view regional autonomy as a defensive stance taken by elites against the redistributive policies, expansion of indigenous sovereignty, and widening popular democracy under the MAS. But lowland regional leaders and elites have begun to present autonomy as inclusive and popular in order to broaden support and challenge the Morales government. Largely removed from debates over autonomy are migrants to the rapidly urbanizing city of Santa Cruz who in many cases experience uneven integration into host communities. Despite the autonomists efforts at fostering inclusion and popular buy-in, highland migrants support for autonomy is weak, while lowland migrants generally favor autonomy and skilled highlanders-more integrated into Santa Cruz-tend to support it conditionally. Migrants of all three groups perceive class disparities within the city to be as salient as regional and ethnic divisions. © 2010 Latin American Perspectives.

Internal migration Santa Cruz Urban geography Regionalism Bolivia Regional autonomy

political system autonomy Bolivia elite politics party politics sovereignty urban geography democracy Santa Cruz [Bolivia] election regionalism internal migration