The referendum of July 2004 in Bolivia over hydrocarbon policies in Bolivia disclosed many of the national problems that threatened social peace. This paper analyses the attitudes of difieren! labor unions, political parties, and civic communities within the context of the referendum and how the stances of political and
social actors in the referendum produced intemal divisions. lt also examines how these groups' different points of view on Presiden! Mesa's hydrocarbon policy contributed to the call for a referendum. The work demonstrates that for a short period of time the referendum served to legitimize Carlos Mesa's presidency
but in a long run defeated of it own presidency.