The Departmental Legislative Assembly honored Santa Cruz with a Session of Honor for the 461 years of the Foundation from Santa Cruz de la Sierra. In the courtyard of the Center for Environmental Education, under the starry sky, in the open air -this time not only to enjoy the refreshing breeze, but also for health convenience due to covid-19- the president Zvonko Matkovic, the assembly members and the governor, in turn highlighted the tenacity and drive of the Santa Cruz spirit.
Zvonko Matkovic, President of the ALD
Matkovic stressed that centralism has affected the regions since before the colony: “We have lived it throughout the republic and now we are suffering it with the Plurinational State.” He also blamed centralism for the abandonment of the regions and stressed that for centuries it had submerged the Santa Cruz society in underdevelopment and poverty.
”The tenacity of the Santa Cruz to solve their own problems is noticeable, the intrepidity is felt when it comes to making industry and generating employment. We knew how to create institutions to be able to drink drinking water, have electricity 24 hours a day and be able to communicate with each other. In this department the election of mayors was born, we made possible the election of the governor and we created our Departmental Legislative Assembly. We set the example and everyone followed us,” he stressed.
He also took the opportunity to point out the approval of more than 30 departmental laws, “more than one per week”, among them, the Departmental Law of Investment Promotion, the Departmental Law of Incentives for Social Responsibility Practices, the Departmental Law of the Economic and Social Council, the Departmental Law of Transformation of the Economy Plan “ Santa Cruz 4.0”, the Departmental Law for the Production of Official Statistics of the Department of Santa Cruz and the Departmental Law for Public-Private Partnership. In social terms, the bills for the Elderly Adult Law, the Law Against Violence against Women, the Law Against All Forms of Racism and All Discrimination, and the Law for the Prevention of Drug Use have been approved and we are working on them.
Zvonko Matkovic once again ratified his commitment to the welfare of the people of Santa Cruz and highlighted the approval of Departmental Law 246, which incorporates the 3rd Hospital into the organic structure of the Departmental Autonomous Government. Level of Montero, Dr. Óscar Urenda in record time, Law that will allow the creation of 14 items of administrative personnel necessary for the start-up of di Hospital.
The president of the Assembly stressed that from the department of Santa Cruz there is an obligation to propose solutions to the country, Bolivia being a geographically distinct and ethnically diverse country, where the only way to manage it is by changing its organization and administration of the State. And he took the opportunity to recall that Federalism “is a historical longing that is heard in many regions of the country, that autonomies do not currently work, and that it is time to discuss a new State model.”
At the end of his speech, the “Melchor Pinto Parada” award was presented to Monsignor Sergio Gualberti, Davosan, the Evangelical Christian Association and the Bartimeo Foundation; as deserving of this distinction taking into account their career, social contribution and work in defense of the department of Santa Cruz.
Luis Fernando Camacho, Governor of Santa Cruz
Governor’s speech
Luis Fernando Camacho took the opportunity to take a look at what your management report will be that you will deliver before it ends March. He assured that his administration put an end to 15 years of the previous one, with “a new way of doing politics and management.” Trying to make a difference, starting with the current expenditurewhich according to his own words, in 2021 it was lower than in 2020 with Bs 2 million lessemphasizing that it was possible to work with 600 fewer public servants than in 2020.
“This means that there was an excessive and bombastic bureaucracy that did not contribute,” he remarked, thus noting the estrangement with Rubén Costas and Democrats.
Regarding budget execution, he stressed that In 2021, 85.97% of the budget was executed, with more than 2 billion Bolivians. “It is the highest percentage of execution in all history. We have executed more and spent less on bureaucracy and we have redirected spending to meet the needs of the people.”
Finally, he assured that in order to reactivate the Santa Cruz economy and create sources of employment, public investment was prioritized and streamlined, thus achieving Bs 78 million more than in 2020 in this indicator, exceeding Bs 300 million.
“This is demonstrated by the construction and delivery of road sections, power lines and other infrastructure for the benefit of the provinces and the people of Santa Cruz.”
