Punata Municipality

{{Infobox settlement   |official_name = Punata Municipality |other_name = |native_name = |nickname = |settlement_type = Municipality |motto =  |image_skyline = Catedral San Juan Bautista, Punata.jpg |imagesize = 250px |image_caption = John the Baptist (''San Juan Bautista'') church in Punata |image_flag = Bandera de Punata.JPG |flag_size = 100px |image_seal = |seal_size = |image_shield = Punata.jpg |shield_size = 70px |image_blank_emblem = |blank_emblem_type = |blank_emblem_size = |image_map = |mapsize = |map_caption = |image_map1 = |mapsize1 = |map_caption1 = |image_dot_map = |dot_mapsize = |dot_map_caption = |dot_x = |dot_y = |pushpin_map = Bolivia |pushpin_label_position =bottom |pushpin_map_caption =Location of the Punata Municipality within Bolivia  |subdivision_type = Country |subdivision_name = 25px Bolivia |subdivision_type1 = Department |subdivision_name1 = Cochabamba Department |subdivision_type2 = Province |subdivision_name2 = Punata Province  |seat_type = Seat |seat = Punata  |government_footnotes = |government_type = |leader_title = Mayor |leader_name = Leticia Camacho (MAS-IPSP) |leader_title1 = Council President |leader_name1 = |leader_title2 = |leader_name2 = |leader_title3 = |leader_name3 = |leader_title4 = |leader_name4 = |established_title =  |established_date = |established_title2 =  |established_date2 = |established_title3 =  |established_date3 =  |area_magnitude = |unit_pref =Imperial  |area_footnotes = |area_total_km2 = 85 |area_land_km2 =  |area_water_km2 = |area_total_sq_mi = |area_land_sq_mi = |area_water_sq_mi = |area_water_percent = |area_urban_km2 = |area_urban_sq_mi = |area_metro_km2 = |area_metro_sq_mi = |area_blank1_title = |area_blank1_km2 = |area_blank1_sq_mi =  |population_as_of = 2001 |population_footnotes = |population_note = |population_total =26140 |population_density_km2 = |population_density_sq_mi = |population_metro = |population_density_metro_km2 = |population_density_metro_sq_mi = |population_urban = |population_density_urban_km2 = |population_density_urban_sq_mi = |population_blank1_title =Ethnicities |population_blank1 =Quechuas |population_blank2_title =Religions |population_blank2 = |population_density_blank1_km2 = |population_density_blank1_sq_mi =  |timezone = BOT |utc_offset = -4 |timezone_DST = |utc_offset_DST = |coordinates = {{coord|17|33|0|S|65|50|0|W|region:BO|display=inline,title}} |elevation_footnotes =  |elevation_m = |elevation_ft =  |postal_code_type =  |postal_code = |area_code = |blank_name = |blank_info = |blank1_name = |blank1_info = |website = |footnotes = }}

'''Punata Municipality''' is the first municipal section of the Punata Province in the Cochabamba Department, Bolivia. Its capital is Punata. At the time of census 2001 the municipality had 26,140 inhabitants.<ref>[http://www.ine.gov.bo Instituto Nacional de Estadística] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091027220541/http://www.ine.gov.bo/ |date=2009-10-27 }} (Spanish)</ref>

== Cantons == thumb|left|180px|Political map of Punata Province The municipality consists of only one canton, Punata Canton. It is identical to the municipality.

== Government == The government of Punata Municipality is divided into the executive and legislative branches. The Mayor of Punata is the head of the city government, elected for a term of five years by general election. The legislative branch consists of the Municipal Council, which elects a President, Vice President and Secretary from a group of seven members.

The current mayor of Punata is Leticia Camacho, who has served in that post on an interim basis, since the removal of Víctor Balderrama, who won both of the previous two elections. Balderrama, of the Insurgente Martín Uchu party, was suspended under indictment for aggravated rape of a minor on August 10, 2010 (for which he was convicted September 2011<ref>{{Cite news | title = Condenan con 25 años de prisión al Alcalde suspendido de Punata | work = La Razón | access-date = 2011-08-08 | date = 2011-08-08 | url = http://www.la-razon.com/version.php?ArticleId=135257&EditionId=2615 }}{{dead link|date=April 2018 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}</ref>), and resigned to resign to allow new elections. A special election for mayor was scheduled to be held on 13 January 2013.

Víctor Balderrama Arias won a strong majority of 74% in the 4 April 2010 elections and his party, Insurgente Martín Uchu, controls five of the seven council seats.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Tres alcaldías en problemas: Quillacollo, Punata y Sucre | work = Los Tiempos | access-date = 2013-01-07 | date = 2010-06-09 | url = http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20100609/tres-alcaldias-en-problemas-quillacollo-punata-y_74664_139009.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20100617021624/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/politica/20100609/tres-alcaldias-en-problemas-quillacollo-punata-y_74664_139009.html# | archive-date = 2010-06-17 | url-status = dead }}</ref>

{| class="wikitable" style="font-size: 95%" |- ! '''Date Began''' ! '''Date Ended''' ! '''Mayor''' ! '''Party''' ! '''Notes''' |- | 1992 | 1993 | José Antonio Gonzales Alvarado | Political Accord (MIR–ADN)<ref name=Op13Nov>{{Cite news | title = Cuatro exautoridades proponen mejoras al agro, salud y educación | work = Opinión | location = Cochabamba, Bolivia | access-date = 2013-01-07 | date = 2012-11-13 | url = http://www.opinion.com.bo/opinion/articulos/2012/1113/imprimir.php?nota=77335.php }}</ref> | |- | 1995 | 1995 | José Antonio Gonzales Alvarado | Revolutionary Left Movement (Bolivia) (MIR)<ref name=Op13Nov /> | |- | 1997 | 2002 | José Antonio Gonzales Alvarado | Revolutionary Nationalist Movement<ref name=Op13Nov /> | |- | 2004 | | Víctor Balderrama Arias | Insurgente Martín Uchu | Elected with 63% of the vote. Balderrama's first administration was marked by open conflict with the Municipal Council, who sought his removal. Balderrama recognized the alternate members of the Council instead during a crisis in 2007.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Arden Punata y Villa Rivero y ya van 5 alcaldes vetados | work = Los Tiempos | access-date = 2013-01-07 | date = 2007-03-03 | url = http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20070303/arden-punata-y-villa-rivero-y-ya-van-5-alcaldes_4855_5349.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303214154/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20070303/arden-punata-y-villa-rivero-y-ya-van-5-alcaldes_4855_5349.html# | archive-date = 2016-03-03 | url-status = dead }}</ref><ref>{{Cite news | title = Crisis de Punata se expande y afecta al departamento | work = Los Tiempos | access-date = 2013-01-07 | date = 2007-03-08 | url = http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20070308/crisis-de-punata-se-expande-y-afecta-al_5276_5795.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20160303211548/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20070308/crisis-de-punata-se-expande-y-afecta-al_5276_5795.html# | archive-date = 2016-03-03 | url-status = dead }}</ref> Meanwhile, the titular council members met in Camacho Rancho for a year, from where they pressed legal demands against the mayoral administration.<ref>{{Cite news | title = Quieren terminar con 10 años de alcaldes interinos | work = Los Tiempos | access-date = 2013-01-07 | date = 2012-12-15 | url = http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20121216/quieren-terminar-con-10-anos-de-alcaldes-interinos_195782_417084.html | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20121219011110/http://www.lostiempos.com/diario/actualidad/local/20121216/quieren-terminar-con-10-anos-de-alcaldes-interinos_195782_417084.html# | archive-date = 2012-12-19 | url-status = dead }}</ref> |- | May 30, 2010 | August 10, 2010 | Víctor Balderrama Arias | Insurgente Martín Uchu | Re-elected with 74% of the vote on 4 April 2010. Suspended August 10, 2010 |- | August 10, 2010 | Interim incumbent, pending special election | '''Leticia Camacho''' | MAS-IPSP | |- |}

== References == {{reflist}} * <nowiki>[http://obd.descentralizacion.gov.bo/municipal/fichas/ ''Observatorio Bolivia Democrático''] (Spanish) </nowiki>

== External links == * [https://web.archive.org/web/20090303084157/http://www.aguabolivia.org/situacionaguaX/Riego/mapas/cbba/punata.htm Map of Punata Province]

Category:Municipalities of Cochabamba Department