ADDRESS BY THE PRESIDENT OF THE COMMITTEE PRO SANTA CRUZ, BRANKO MARINKOVIC, IN THE CELEBRATION OF THE STATUTE OF AUTONOMY

Santa Cruz, celebrate! NOW WE ARE AUTONOMOUS!

Let me begin by welcoming my Bolivian brothers, who accompanied me and remained until today in the Hunger Strike. This was a hunger strike, which was attended by many citizens from all parts of the country, citizens of our social institutions, professional associations, educational, peasants, indigenous people, business and civic.

Greetings my brothers from Sucre and Chuquisaca, who came with courage into this strike. This peaceful strike was against authoritarianism and MAS (Evo Morales Party) and in favour of the Statute of Autonomy, to promote democracy and ultimate freedom.

The Civic Committee has fought for decades seeking freedom. And today this struggle for freedom is called Autonomy. Let me once again tell the country and the world: the battle of Santa Cruz for freedom has always been peaceful. It has always been within the law. It has always been through dialogue. Freedom, autonomy and dialogue.

That is the path we have traveled. And the status of autonomy leads us today in that road.

Santa Cruz, through its autonomous status, becomes today the hope of the Bolivian democracy.

Santa Cruz, through its autonomous status, becomes the basis of a united Bolivia.

Santa Cruz, through its autonomous status, becomes today and forever the proposed Bolivia where departments live in solidarity with each other.

Santa Cruz, through its autonomous status, becomes the hope of Bolivia where departments spread their resources among the provinces, districts and indigenous peoples.

Santa Cruz, dear compatriots and dear cruceños:

Santa Cruz, through its autonomous status, offers Bolivia a new opportunity for everyone. Unity in a democracy. Solidarity among departments. Boosting the development of districts, provinces and the development of indigenous peoples. New economic opportunities for all Bolivians.

This is Santa Cruz. That's autonomy. That is the status of autonomy.

Cruceños and Bolivians: Faced with communism, we propose democracy. Faced with the outrage, we propose dialogue. Faced with rising prices and the crisis in which this government has placed us, we propose better jobs. Faced with the authoritarian project of the MAS that benefits only their sectors, we propose autonomy for all, unity and freedom.

Because this is an autonomy for the Bolivian people. It is a statute for all ways of life, all cultures, all people in rural areas and in cities.

Mr President, stop discrediting this autonomy. I suggest that you read our autonomous status. I suggest that you read our statute to realize that this is the autonomy of unity rather than separation as you always say to fool people. Listes to us, and especially respect us, as the free people we are. Take into account our view and read this statute. Read it because this statute, since its first paragraph guarantees and promotes the unity of Bolivia and solidarity among all Bolivians. Rather than blaming us, spend a little time learning our statute.

Our autonomy. Learn once and for all that this is the autonomy of the unit.

Now, our mission as a civic, as cruceños, as fathers and mothers of families, as working people, is to engage life with soul and heart to prepare the referendum for the people to vote and adopt the statute of autonomy.

I call out and invite the people to sign the books and to vote in the referendum for the statute of autonomy.

I call out and invite the people to participate in democratic and peaceful ways in the construction of a new Bolivia, the construction of the autonomous Santa Cruz, in the construction of a Bolivia and Santa Cruz full of new opportunities and full of future and social peace.

Finally, and as it should be, I tell my people, celebrate! Celebrate because today is a day of celebration. Celebrate with all the forces of our hearts, this victory is a victory of the people.

It is a victory for everyone. It is a victory for democracy, a victory of Santa Cruz and Bolivia.

This autonomist victory should encourage further work from us. To strive and work twice as harder. To strive in our jobs. To strive in the countryside. To strive in the industry. In the markets. In the works and place where everything takes place, working with honesty and simplicity, because that is the way of this prosperous land, productive and hospitable.

That is the way of an open-arms Santa Cruz.

The path is long and we have to walk it together. We will have a lot of hard work. But it is worth it. Santa Cruz, Bolivia and self worth.

Viva Bolivia, Viva Santa Cruz, Viva la Autonomìa!

Santa Cruz de la Sierra, December 15, 2007