After weeks of fierce political clashes between the rebel Prefects of the “half moon” departments in the east and the government of Evo Morales, opportunities for dialogue may be opening.

The facts. The news breaks after a long night of negotiations during which the Prefect of Tarija Mario Cossio, in the name of the National Democratic Council, signed an accord with the government to initiate a new phase of negotiations between the parties and definitively put an end to the violence and roadblocks that have been paralyzing the country for the past few weeks, and which have led to death and injury. Mario Cossio himself gave the news. “We will sign the agreement on the pacification of the country. This is our only opportunity to set off on the path towards a process of national dialogue”. The declaration was unexpected in the light of the ferocious controversies that have divided Bolivia.

The background. It is true that for days now the parties have been trying to produce a document that will bring an end to this embarrassing situation. However, it is also true that the Bolivian “rebels”, who wished to split the country in two, have perhaps realized that they are alone, or are keeping bad company. The meeting of the UNASUR (the Union of South American Nations) emphasized the total support of the nations in the area for Bolivia’s sovereignty and for its president Evo Morales. This may have led to a rethinking of the strategies to be adopted by the Prefects in the half moon departments, who will certainly not back down, despite signing a document. The more sceptical in Bolivia, in fact, have little confidence in a cessation of hostilities between the factions.

The document. Behind it all lies the restitution of the royalties deriving from the sale of hydrocarbons, the final straw dumped on an already overburdened camel, which the government of Evo Morales had devolved to a pension fund for the indigent population. The document, furthermore, leads to new hypotheses on the observance of the autonomous rights of the regions that have signed it, and brings the new political Constitution of the State to the forefront.