Porvenir Massacre

The Porvenir massacre (also, El Porvenir massacre, Pando massacre) was a deadly ambush in the early hours of September 11, 2008, allegedly organized by Prefectural authorities of the Bolivian Department of Pando, as part of a civil coup d'état against the government of Evo Morales by members of the right-wing civic movement. As a result of the ambush, at least 12 indigenous protesters of the municipality of El Porvenir died that day.

It was the most deadly act of political violence in Bolivia since 2003. The protesters were marching to the departmental capital of Cobija to protest departmental government actions during a national political crisis. An investigation by the Union of South American Nations (UNASUR) found the massacre to be a crime against humanity. UNASUR's reported list of 19 victims was later shortened to 13 confirmed dead by Bolivian prosecutors.

On August 10, 2008, a recall referendum was held in Bolivia on the mandates of President Evo Morales, his Vice-president Alvaro Garcia Linera and eight of the nine regional prefects. Evo Morales won the referendum with a 67% "yes" vote, and he and Garcia Linera were ratified in post. Two of the prefects, both aligned with the political opposition in the country, failed to gain enough support and had their mandates recalled with new prefects to be elected in their place. The elections were monitored by over 400 observers, including election observers from the Organization of American States, European Parliament and Mercosur.

After Morales' victory in the recall referendum, the Morales government claimed that right wing forces led by Ruben Costas, Mario Cossio, Leopoldo Fernandez and Ernesto Suarez rejected the result of the vote and on September 2008, launched a civil coup d'état, seizing public building and airports in the Departments of Santa Cruz, Beni, Pando, Tarija; attacking government officials and Morales supporters, and calling for civil disobedience. This included the occupation of the National Institute for Agrarian Reform (INRA)'s Pando office. Campesinos, largely aligned with the Morales government, feared their recently granted land titles were at risk, although in fact they were safely stored in a military barracks.

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