In October 2011, the government of Bolivian President Evo Morales enacted Law 180, which declared the Isiboro Sécure Indigenous Territory and National Park (Tipnis) an “intangible zone whose protection and conservation are of fundamental interest to the Plurinational Bolivian State.” The measure was prompted by popular opposition to plans for a 300-kilometer (185-mile) highway, 65 kilometers (40 miles) of which would pass through Tipnis, a prized natural area in central Bolivia that links Andean and Amazon ecosystems. The project, intended to improve transport between the Bolivian departments of Cochabamba and Beni, drew intense resistance from the Moxeño-Trinitario, Chimane and Yuracaré indigenous peoples, each of which has communities within Tipnis. In protest, members of the three groups staged a 40-day march to... [Log in to read more]