Leopoldo Fernández
Encyclopedia
Leopoldo Fernández Ferreira (born 22 May 1952) is a Bolivia
n politician. A member of Social and Democratic Power
(PODEMOS) Fernández was Prefect (Governor) of the northern Bolivian department
of Pando
from 2006 to 2008.
Fernández was the first elected Prefect of Pando, an office which had previously been appointed by the President. He won the elections of December 2005. Fernández survived the August 2008 vote of confidence referendum
, though he had over 14,000 votes against his governorship.
Fernández's government strongly backed autonomy for the department, in alliance with other governors of the eastern "media luna" (half-moon, so known for their combined geographic shape) provinces Santa Cruz
, Beni
, Tarija
. Nationwide referenda on autonomy held on July 2, 2006, were approved in all four departments. A second referendum to approve a statute of autonomy was held by each department in mid-2008, despite being declared illegal by the National Electoral Court in March. Left-wing and pro-Morales social movements boycotted the votes. Pando's referendum, held on June 1, 2008, won 82% approval among those who voted, but 46.5% of the registered electorate did vote, the highest abstention rate in the four departments holding such referenda.
Prefecto Leopoldo Fernandez was arrested on 16 September 2008 on charges of Acts against the state of emergency. Additionally, other charges for "genocide
" are expected from Evo Morales
' government for allegedly organizing the Porvenir Massacre, an ambush in which 15 peasants were killed and 37 wounded at El Porvenir
on 11 September 2008. Landelino Rafael Bandeira Arze was appointed his interim successor by President Evo Morales
and assumed office as prefect on 20 September, 2008.
Prosecutors (of the Ministerio Público) presented indictments against 26 people, including Fernández, for the Porvenir Massacre before the Sixth Sentencing Tribunal (Tribunal Sexto de Sentencia) on 12 October 2009. Scheduled trial proceedings include a jury selection lottery on 20 May 2010, the empaneling of the jury on 26 May, and the beginning of the trial itself on 8 June.
Bolivia
Bolivia officially known as Plurinational State of Bolivia , is a landlocked country in central South America. It is the poorest country in South America...
n politician. A member of Social and Democratic Power
Social and Democratic Power
Podemos is the name of a right-of-center, pro-business Bolivian political party. It is a pseudo-acronym standing for 'Poder Democrático y Social' , but the word also means "We can."-Nationalist Democratic Action:...
(PODEMOS) Fernández was Prefect (Governor) of the northern Bolivian department
Departments of Bolivia
Bolivia is divided into nine departments . Each of the departments is subdivided into provinces , which are further subdivided into municipalities ....
of Pando
Pando Department
Pando is a department of Bolivia, with an area of , adjoining the border with Brazil. Pando has a population 66,689 . Its capital is the city of Cobija....
from 2006 to 2008.
Fernández was the first elected Prefect of Pando, an office which had previously been appointed by the President. He won the elections of December 2005. Fernández survived the August 2008 vote of confidence referendum
Bolivian vote of confidence referendum, 2008
A vote of confidence in President Evo Morales in the form of a referendum was held in Bolivia on 10 August 2008. The vote was held to determine whether Morales, Vice President Álvaro García Linera, and eight out of nine departmental Prefects should stay in office. Morales received more than 67%...
, though he had over 14,000 votes against his governorship.
Fernández's government strongly backed autonomy for the department, in alliance with other governors of the eastern "media luna" (half-moon, so known for their combined geographic shape) provinces Santa Cruz
Santa Cruz Department
Santa Cruz, with an area of 370,621 km², is the largest of the nine constituent departments of Bolivia. In the 2001 census, it reported a population of 2,029,471. The capital is the city of Santa Cruz de la Sierra. The state is one of the wealthiest states in Bolivia with huge reserves of...
, Beni
Beni Department
Beni, sometimes El Beni, is a northeastern department of Bolivia, in the lowlands region of the country. It is the second largest department in the country , covering 213,564 square kilometers , and it was created by supreme decree on November 18, 1842 during the administration of General José...
, Tarija
Tarija Department
Tarija is a department in Bolivia. It is located in south-eastern Bolivia bordering Argentina to the south and Paraguay to the east. According to the 2001 census, it has a population of 391,226 inhabitants. It has an area of 37.623 km²...
. Nationwide referenda on autonomy held on July 2, 2006, were approved in all four departments. A second referendum to approve a statute of autonomy was held by each department in mid-2008, despite being declared illegal by the National Electoral Court in March. Left-wing and pro-Morales social movements boycotted the votes. Pando's referendum, held on June 1, 2008, won 82% approval among those who voted, but 46.5% of the registered electorate did vote, the highest abstention rate in the four departments holding such referenda.
Prefecto Leopoldo Fernandez was arrested on 16 September 2008 on charges of Acts against the state of emergency. Additionally, other charges for "genocide
Genocide
Genocide is defined as "the deliberate and systematic destruction, in whole or in part, of an ethnic, racial, religious, or national group", though what constitutes enough of a "part" to qualify as genocide has been subject to much debate by legal scholars...
" are expected from Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
' government for allegedly organizing the Porvenir Massacre, an ambush in which 15 peasants were killed and 37 wounded at El Porvenir
El Porvenir
-Places:Bolivia*Porvenir Municipality,Chile*Porvenir, ChileEl Salvador*El Porvenir, Santa AnaEcuador* El Porvenir Parish, Palanda Canton, Zamora-ChinchipeHonduras*El Porvenir, Atlántida,*El Porvenir, Francisco MorazánMexico*El Porvenir, Chiapas...
on 11 September 2008. Landelino Rafael Bandeira Arze was appointed his interim successor by President Evo Morales
Evo Morales
Juan Evo Morales Ayma , popularly known as Evo , is a Bolivian politician and activist, currently serving as the 80th President of Bolivia, a position that he has held since 2006. He is also the leader of both the Movement for Socialism party and the cocalero trade union...
and assumed office as prefect on 20 September, 2008.
Prosecutors (of the Ministerio Público) presented indictments against 26 people, including Fernández, for the Porvenir Massacre before the Sixth Sentencing Tribunal (Tribunal Sexto de Sentencia) on 12 October 2009. Scheduled trial proceedings include a jury selection lottery on 20 May 2010, the empaneling of the jury on 26 May, and the beginning of the trial itself on 8 June.
External links
- Bolivia 9/11: Bodies and Power on a Feudal Frontier by Bret Gustafson, July 14 2009