A new nation -- Santa Cruz

BBC Photo

Crusenos celebrate the birth of their new nation. 86 percent cast their ballots in favor of autonomy, which supporters proclaim is the first step toward total independence:

It is a defining moment for an increasingly powerful civic and business movement and a skilled political opposition which united in this resource-rich province to challenge Mr Morales.

Before thousands of exultant "crucenos" - as the people from Santa Cruz are called - Ruben Costas, the now self-declared governor of Santa Cruz, claimed that the victory meant, "initiating the path towards a new republic".

Supporters of more autonomy for the region want to loosen what they term the "totalitarian and hegemonic centralism" of the central government in La Paz.

Not only is eastern Bolivia more economically successful than the western and highlands sections, it is the home of most of the European descendents in the country. President Morales, a coca farmer, leads an indigenous political movement determined to reconstruct Bolivia along socialist lines, beginning with the appropriation of Santa Cruz' natural gas fields and productive farms to finance his schemes. Morales, of course, dismisses the Santa Cruz referendum as illegal, and may resort to violence to quash hopes of self-determination.

But in the meantime, the Crusenos continue to celebrate:

In the meantime, Santa Cruz is enjoying a long night of celebrations as the rhythmic chant of "autonomy, autonomy" resounds across the city.