Pando Department

Far from the centers of power in Bolivian society, Pando has recently linked its fate with that of Santa Cruz and Beni, which (along with Tarija and Chuquisaca) are demanding increased autonomy for the departments, with a lessening in central government power. Prefect Leopoldo Fernández 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). Nationwide referendums 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 not vote, the highest abstention rate in the four departments holding such referendums. Considerable social unrest took place in 2008, culminating with the arrest in September 2008 of Prefect Leopoldo Fernández, stemming from the massacre at El Porvenir of anti-autonomy backers of President Evo Morales. == Provinces of Pando ==

• Abuná • Federico Román • Madre de Dios • Manuripi • Nicolás Suárez ==Government==

Executive offices The chief executive office of Bolivia departments (since May 2010) is the governor; until then, the office was called the prefect, and until 2006 the prefect was appointed by the President of Bolivia. The current governor, Regis Germán Richter of the MTS was elected on 11 April 2021 after winning the second round of the regional election. Legislative Assembly Under the 2009 Constitution, a Departmental Legislative Assembly was instituted for each Bolivian department. The first elections hereunto were held on 4 April 2010. The legislature has 21 members. Its current composition, per the last regional election, is 13 seats for the MAS-IPSP, 3 for indigenous representatives, 2 for the Democratic Integration Community and one each for MTS, Movimiento Democrático Autonomista and We Are All Pando. The current executive committee was determined per vote on 2 May 2022, selecting Olga Feliciano Ampuero as president, Almir Flores Muzumbite as vice-president, Josué Olmos Quetehuari as secretary and Keila Tirina Peralta and Georgina Ribero Chao as first and second committee member, respectively. ==Demographics==

The predominant language in the department is Spanish. The following table shows the number of those belonging to the recognized group of speakers. == Places of interest ==

• Manuripi-Heath Amazonian Wildlife National Reserve • International Recreational Fishing Championship of Puerto Rico, Pando, Bolivia • El Chivé • Porvenir (Pando) ==Gallery==

File:Cobija-Pando-Bolivia (155).jpg|The Brazil nut seen near Cobija File:Standing_jaguar.jpg|A typical Jaguar in the Amazon File:COBIJA 142 Monumento a Bruno Racua.JPG|Cobija is the departamental capital File:Río_Tahuamanu_aus_der_Luft.JPG|Typical Amazonian meanders on Tahuamanu River near Filadelfia, Pando, Bolivia File:Monumento_al_Esfuerzo_Carretero_y_su_Histórico_Carreton.jpg|Monument in Cobija == References ==