Weekly Report - 04 April 2019 (WR-19-13)

Plans by the government led by President Evo Morales to exploit a local nature reserve, Tariquía, Tarija department for hydrocarbon deposits has led the local media to draw parallels with the ‘Tipnis’ dispute. This is a reference to the mass protests that took place in 2011 over government plans to construct a new road through the Isiboro-Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park (Tipnis) ecological reserve, which dealt a major blow to Morales’ popularity. A repeat of such unrest would be damaging for Morales ahead of October’s general election in which he is seeking a further term for the ruling Movimiento al Socialismo (MAS).