In Bolivia, opposition groups staged a general strike Wednesday in six of Bolivia’s nine provinces. At issue are several government-backed constitutional changes opposed by oil-rich areas. Bolivian President Evo Morales says the plans will give Bolivia’s indigenous and poor communities a greater voice in running the country. The proposals will go before a national referendum in the coming months. Speaking from the presidential palace in La Paz, Morales urged his opponents to cooperate with his plans.

Bolivian President Evo Morales: “I hope that tomorrow morning these five governors are here to have a dialogue. I hope that in five or nine of our departments that we can lay down new social policies, together, for Bolivia, because this is a government for all Bolivians, not a government for just one sector of them, as some of our companions have said.”

Morales made the call as he approved a law establishing a guaranteed pension for Bolivia’s elderly. Oil revenues from Bolivia’s richer provinces will fund the monthly stipend.