| A protester blocks a highway in La | | | | want to keep more of that income from |
| Guardia, Bolivia, 20 Aug | | | | their states. President Morales recently |
| 2008Demonstrators opposed to Bolivian | | | | won an overwhelming victory in a |
| President Evo Morales' reform plans have | | | | national recall referendum and says the |
| set up roadblocks in parts of the | | | | outcome reaffirms his mandate and |
| country's energy-rich east on the second | | | | validates his plans. Four opposition |
| day of an anti-government | | | | governors were reaffirmed in the |
| strike.President Morales condemned the | | | | referendum as well.The president's |
| protest Wednesday and threatened to take | | | | critics are also concerned about the |
| measures to restore order. Tuesday, the | | | | president's proposals to write a new |
| conservative governors of five low-lying | | | | constitution. They say Mr. Morales leans |
| eastern states began the strike to | | | | too far to the political left and is |
| demand greater autonomy for their | | | | allied too closely with Venezuela's |
| energy-rich region. Mr. Morales' critics | | | | socialist president, Hugo Chavez. Some |
| oppose his plans to redistribute natural | | | | information for this report was provided |
| gas revenues to the poor, saying they | | | | by AFP, AP and Reuters. |