Pando's referendum, held on June 1, 2008, won 82% approval among those who voted. But 46.5% of the registered electorate did not vote, the highest abstention rate in the four departments holding such referendums."Two more Bolivian provinces favour more autonomy" , Monsters & Critics, 2 June 2008. Considerable social unrest took place in 2008, culminating with the arrest in September 2008 of Prefect Leopoldo Fernández, stemming from the massacre at El Porvenir of anti-autonomy backers of President Evo Morales.
