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Bolivia puts army on alert: report
LA PAZ
Petroleumworld.com 14 12 07Bolivia put its armed forces on alert Thursday, ahead of a threatened move to autonomy by half the country's provinces, Defense Minister Walker San Miguel said according to a newspaper report.
The soldiers have been ordered to be ready to protect public and private property although police retain responsibility for ensuring security, the daily La Prensa cited San Miguel as saying.
President Evo Morales's socialist government fears demonstrators may try to take over public offices in Santa Cruz, the country's economic capital and a bastion of opposition.
Four of Bolivia's nine provinces -- Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando -- have announced they will declare autonomy on Saturday.
They object to Morales's moves to overhaul the constitution to boost presidential powers, increase the rights of the indigenous majority and redistribute wealth from their low-lying richer areas to the poorer heights of the Andes.
La Prensa said 400 extra police have been sent to Santa Cruz, a city of population 1.5 million.
"However we have not mobilized a military detachment in the city of Santa Cruz," San Miguel said. "We are remaining very attentive and concerned by what is happening in the country."
The minister dismissed any suggested that Santa Cruz would be put under "siege" by the government forces, and accused its leaders of being "paranoid".
Bolivia's richer regions already declared a form of moderate autonomy a year ago, though relations with the federal government remained unchanged.
Story from AFP 13 1817 GMT 12 07
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