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Opponents of Bolivia's New Constitution Focus On Religious Changes

By Howard M. Friedman

On January 25, Bolivians vote on a proposed new constitution for the country. (BBC News.) The new constitution, according to a report last week by IPS, contains a bill of rights, and also eliminates the provision in the current Constitution that recognizes Catholicism as the country's official religion. Instead, Article 4 of the draft constitution guarantees freedom of religion and of spiritual beliefs and provides that the state is "independent from religion." The draft constitution also assures freedom for religious education and preserves existing arrangements on schools run by different faiths. While the Catholic Church remains neutral in the referendum, opponents of the new Constitution are using pro-Catholic appeals to urge voters to reject the document. A group called Iglesias Re Unidas is running ads proclaiming: "Choose God, Vote No." Podemos party member José Antonio Aruquipa says that opposition from religious leaders stems from President Morales' belligerent attitude toward the Catholic Church. [Thanks to Scott Mange for the lead.]

Full post as published by Religion Clause on January 18, 2009 (boomark / email).