The Catholic Church's role in a referendum due to take place tomorrow over the autonomy of four wealthy eastern states has been called into doubt after Cardinal Julio Terrazas questioned government claims that slave labour is still used on farms there, writes Jon Stibbs.

In a move President Evo Morales' left-wing Government has called "seditious", four eastern states are to vote tomorrow on whether to become autonomous. It follows moves by President Morales to overhaul the constitution to give himself greater powers and to redistribute much of the wealth of the eastern provinces to the poor Andean highlands. He has said that tomorrow's vote is not a referendum, but a non-binding "poll, an opinion survey", since a referendum on autonomy is anti-constitutional.

The role of Cardinal Terrazas as primary mediator in the crisis has come into question after he asked in a homily last month for proof of the existence of slaves in Bolivia. His stance directly opposes the Government in current legal proceedings and has led to a breakdown in the relationship between the two leaders. The president is quoted as feeling "betrayed" and "deceived", and he urged the cardinal to work with him to achieve social justice.

The president has received strong support from the Methodist Church, which has been generously reciprocated. Since then, the Catholic Church and the MAS ruling party have been building bridges but there seems to be no clarity within the difficult relationship. The referendum mediation process was already troubled, and no official talks between the two sides had taken place. The latest survey in La Prensa newspaper on Monday shows that 73 per cent of eligible voters would choose autonomy.

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