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30-1034: The most recent Constituent Assembly of Bolivia was the Constituent Assembly of 2006–07 , which drafted a new Constitution which was approved in the Constitutional referendum of 2009 . Prior assemblies have met to reconsider the form of Bolivia's government, beginning with the 1825 Deliberating Assembly ( Asamblea Deliberante ) in Chuquisaca. Others occurred in 1826 (Constituent Assembly), 1831 (a General Constituent Assembly), 1834 (Constituent Congress), 1839 (Constituent Congress), 1843 (National Convention), 1848 (Constituent Congress), 1851 (National Convention), 1861, 1868, 1871, 1877–78, 1900 (National Convention), 1920–21 (National Convention), 1938 (National Convention), 1944 (National Convention), 1945 (National Convention), and 1966–67 Bolivian Constituent Assembly of 2006%E2%80%9307 Disputes over

60-609: A 61.7% majority, the constitution came into effect on February 7. El Alto El Alto (Spanish for "The Heights" ) is the second-largest city in Bolivia , located adjacent to La Paz in Pedro Domingo Murillo Province on the Altiplano highlands. El Alto is today one of Bolivia's fastest-growing urban centers, with an estimated population of 943,558 in 2020. It is also the highest major city in

90-535: A Concertation commission to seek a new text; irreconciliable differencecs would be considered by popular referendum. Sucre, the seat of the Assembly, was the country's sole capital prior to the 1899 civil war. In 2007, politicians from Sucre sought to re-establish Sucre as the sole capital and transfer all parts of the national government to the city. The Inter-Institutional Committee of the Interests of Chuquisaca

120-406: A municipality within the province of Murillo. The government of the city is divided into the executive and legislative branches. The mayor of El Alto is the head of the city government, elected for a term of five years by general election. The legislative branch consists of the municipal council, which elects a president, vice president, and secretary from a group of 11 members. The current mayor

150-509: A preliminary draft of the constitution in full. MAS and its allies have claimed the opposition boycotted the final stages of the Assembly vote and incited violent student protests against the assembly, forcing its move to a military school on the outskirts of the city for protection. On December 8, 2007, the Constituent Assembly moved its sessions to Oruro , citing safety concerns. Most members of opposition parties boycotted

180-549: A rare cold-summer variety of a subtropical highland climate ( Cwc ). Temperatures are typically cool during the day and crisp at night year-round. Snowfall is possible at any time during the year. The water supply in El Alto has been impacted by drought caused by shrinking glaciers. In 2016 the three main dams supplying water to the city were almost dry due to lack of glacial melt water. Museo de Arte Antonio Paredes Candia opened in 2002. From 2003, access from La Paz to

210-534: Is Monica Eva Copa , who defeated MÁS candidate Zacarias Maquera in March 2021 after being ousted by the El Alto party. The previous election was held in March 2021. The Government of El Alto faces competition in providing public services, security and participation with the grassroots and highly successful Fejuve movement. El Alto is connected to La Paz by three lines of the Mi Teleférico system. The city

240-660: The January 2007 violence . On 24 January 2007 the Bolivian Senate broke a deadlock and elected Jose Villavicencio (the lone Senator of the National Unity Party ) as its president by a 15–12 vote, unseating a close ally of Morales. With the loss of control of the Senate, Morales has backed down from his position that a simple majority of assembly members should determine the wording of individual articles in

270-466: The 1950s when the settlement was connected to La Paz's water supply (before this, all water had to be transported from La Paz in tanker vehicles) and building land in the canyon became more and more scarce and expensive. In an administrative reform in March 1985, the district of El Alto and its surroundings were politically separated from the City of La Paz (this date is officially referred to and celebrated as

300-420: The Assembly proposed an alternative text. In mid-December, cabildos held in the media luna departments of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Beni and Pando threatened to refuse to abide by a constitution that was not approved by a two-thirds vote. Cochabamba prefect Manfred Reyes Villa also backed the two-thirds majority position in a pro-autonomy cabildo held on 15 December 2006, further sharpening the divisions that led to

330-520: The Convocation Law of the Constituent Assembly (Law 3364), approved by Bolivia's National Congress on 6 March 2006. The latter law designated uninominal elections by the 70 districts used by the Chamber of Deputies, and plurinominal elections of five constituents from each department . The Convocation Law required a two-thirds vote of the Assembly to approve the new Constitution. Debates over

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360-413: The city and communities downstream. Rapid population growth means the city struggles to bring potable water and sewer service to parts of the population, especially on the fringes of the expanding urban area. The city contains La Paz’s El Alto International Airport . El Alto is one of the highest major cities in the world, up to 4,300 meters (13,615 feet) above mean sea level. It has a cold climate, with

390-516: The city's "founding day"). In 1987, El Alto was formally incorporated as a city. In 1994, the city became the seat of the Roman Catholic Diocese of El Alto . El Alto's autonomous government identifies 14 districts composing the city. El Alto was once known as La Paz's bedroom community, though recent growth of commerce and industry has led to concern about water pollution by businesses, including tanneries and slaughterhouses, for

420-512: The conflict escalated with mass attacks on the headquarters of MAS-affiliated social movements in Sucre and on Assembly member Ignacio Mendoza (MAS, Chuquisaca), leading to the suspension of further plenary sessions. The 15 August resolution preventing discussion was annulled by court order on 8 September. The issue continued to occupy the Assembly in September and October until a multi-party accord

450-459: The content of this text and procedures of its approval aggravated political conflict in Bolivia, including violent conflicts in Sucre and Cochabamba. Opposition and conservative sectors including the " media luna " denounced the text claiming the procedure of its passage was illegal, passed with a third of constituent delegates absent (from minority conservative parties). Despite inclusive wording of

480-577: The highest average monthly maximum temperature being 17 °C (63 °F) in November. It is one of the fastest-growing cities in Bolivia, due to immigration from Bolivia’s rural areas to the La Paz region which started with the rural reform of 1952 and increased in the last 10 years. Some migrants say the difficulty of growing crops in the countryside drove them to move to the city. The Köppen climate classification system classifies El Alto's climate as

510-454: The international airport, as well to oil and gas supplies, has been frequently blocked by protesting social leaders and some of the most powerful players in the politics of Bolivia . El Alto remains one of the major centers of the Bolivian gas conflict . El Alto is known for its Neo-Andean architecture, built from the mid-2000s onward. There is a large open-air market . El Alto is

540-528: The issue in the minority reports of six commissions and the majority report of one. On 15 August, a MAS-sponsored resolution excluded the issue from being considered in plenary session. The following day the Inter-Institutional Committee began a civic strike and, on 17 August, an open cabildo called for consideration of the issue. Seven Chuquisaqueño assembly members began a hunger strike in support of full capital status. On 23 August,

570-443: The meeting. 165 of the 255 delegates attended and participated in the voting. The final draft constitution was approved article by article in a marathon voting session through the night, completing approval of the draft on December 9, 2007. It was synthesized, cleaned up, and modified by an Editing Commission in La Paz. Leaders of several opposition parties and conservative civic committees in 5 departments stated they will not recognize

600-486: The new Constitution. As a compromise measure, Morales called for any issue that can not be resolved with a two-thirds vote in the Constituent Assembly should be put before the people in a referendum, saying "Let the people decide with their vote, without fear." The head of Podemos, former President Jorge Quiroga , praised Morales' suggestion, saying "It's an important advance. It's a sign of flexibility." After months of negotiations, on 8 February 2007 MAS announced that with

630-706: The new text, claiming it was approved illegally. On December 14, 2007, the President of the Constituent Assembly, Silvia Lazarte and members of the Directory Panel presented the complete text to the Bolivian National Congress to legislate a referendum. The following day marches and rallies were held in the capital La Paz in favor of the new Constitution while in the departmental capital of Santa Cruz rallies were held in favor of an extra-constitutional "Autonomy Statute." The constitution

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660-400: The outlying areas. The construction of an elaborate cable car system connected El Alto directly with central La Paz, dramatically easing transportation into the economic center of the metropolitan area. A locally indigenous Neo-Andean architectural style has developed alongside this growth, giving the city a distinct appearance as it has modernized. The dry and inclement plain above La Paz

690-608: The specific interpretation of this provision occupied the Assembly from November 2006 to 14 February 2007. In drafting the regulations for the Assembly, the MAS proposed a simple majority vote should be required for most matters, with two-thirds required for sensitive matters. An initial regulation was passed on 17 November 2006 requiring a two-thirds majority votes only for the final text of the Constitution, and allowing reconsideration of up to three articles in which at least one-third of

720-455: The support of 18 members of the Podemos that they had reached the necessary consensus on the Assembly's voting procedures. The Assembly approved its regulations on 14 February 2007 with an overwhelming vote of 201 constituents (81%). The final rules required an absolute majority for the text overall, and a 2/3 vote in considering individual articles. Failure to achieve two-thirds would result in

750-443: The text, opponents have claimed the new document only represents indigenous peoples, discriminating against mixed ( mestizo ), white (European) populations. Prior Constituent Assemblies , or other bodies empowered with rewriting Bolivia's Constitution have taken place on at least 17 occasions since 1826. The Constituent Assembly was authorized by Law 3091, promulgated by President Eduardo Rodríguez Veltzé on 6 July 2005, and by

780-403: The world , with an average elevation of 4,000 m (13,123 ft). The El Alto–La Paz metropolitan area, formed by La Paz, El Alto, Achocalla , Viacha , and Mecapaca , constitutes the most populous urban area of Bolivia, with a population of about 2.2 million. The city is rapidly developing, although significant challenges with substandard infrastructure and utilities remain, especially in

810-494: Was established in March 2007 for this purpose, and a proposal was presented to the Assembly's Regional Encuentro held in Sucre on 19 March. Marches were held in support of this demand on 10 March and 25 July, while an opposing mobilization was held in La Paz and El Alto on 20 July. Assembly members from La Paz threatened in July to abandon the plenary sessions if the issue was discussed, but Chuquisaca and media luna members inserted

840-694: Was further modified by the Cochabamba Dialogue between the President and opposition Prefects in September 2008; and in Congress during negotiations for a referendum in October 2008. On October 23, 2008, the Bolivian Congress approved holding a referendum on a new constitution supported by President Morales to empower the allegedly long oppressed indigenous majority of the country. The referendum took take place on 25 January 2009. With

870-427: Was reached on 24 October, formally ratifying Sucre as constitutional capital and the seat of the judicial and electoral branches of government with honorary sessions of the legislature also held there. However, the Inter-Institutional Committee rejected this agreement as well. Its mobilizations against the Assembly continued through the rest of the body's meetings. On November 24, 2007, the Constituent Assembly approved

900-468: Was uninhabited until 1903 when the newly built railways from Lake Titicaca and Arica reached the rim of the canyon, where the La Paz terminus, railyards and depots were built along with a settlement of railway workers (a spur line down into the canyon opened in 1905). In 1925, the airfield was built as a base for the new air force, which attracted additional settlement. In 1939, El Alto's first elementary school opened. El Alto started to grow tremendously in

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