Rubén Costas

Rubén Armando Costas Aguilera (born October 6, 1955 in Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Santa Cruz) is a Bolivian politician and the current governor of Bolivia's Santa Cruz department for the Truth and Social Democracy (VERDES) party. In 2013, he founded the Social Democrat Movement party to participate in the 2014 presidential and parliamentary election.[1] Previously he served as prefect (the same office, which has been renamed by the 2009 constitution) on behalf of the Autonomy for Bolivia party.[2] He was one of the nine Bolivian prefects directly elected in the general elections of 2005. This election was the result of several negotiations and large, peaceful public demonstrations in Santa Cruz. The 1967 Bolivian constitution said that prefects can only be appointed by the president, but because of the popular demand and negotiations led by Costas, the Bolivian Congress approved Law 3015 to formalize the prefect election process.[3]

Rubén Costas
Governor of Santa Cruz Department
In office
2006  present
Personal details
Born
Rubén Armando Costas Aguilera

(1955-10-06) October 6, 1955
Santa Cruz de la Sierra, Bolivia
Political partySocial Democrat Movement
Spouse(s)Sonia Vincenti Égüez

Costas became the first elected prefect of Santa Cruz of the 21st century after leading the popular uprising demanding prefects, the highest elected office in the provinces, be elected by popular vote instead of appointed by the central government. This was a major victory for the autonomy movement, born out of the eastern region of Bolivia, that fought for decentralization of political power.[4]

Since he took office, he has been strongly critical of the government of President Evo Morales because of Morales's opposition to decentralization.

References


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