Cotoca is a canton and Municipality of Andrés Ibáñez Province in Santa Cruz Department, Bolivia. The municipality consists of two cantons – Cotoca itself and Puerto Pailas. In 2010 it had an estimated population of 23,951 for the canton and 56,451 for the municipality.
In 1799, the Catholic Church authorised the building of a shrine to the Virgen de Cotoca, an image of Mary that was seen in the town. The Virgin is now the patron saint of the entire province of Santa Cruz and her feast from 8 to 15 December draws thousands of Bolivians.See Virgen de Cotoca
The population increased tenfold in the last forty years:
Year Canton Municipality 1976 2,107Thomas Brinkhoff: City Population 1992 9,229Nacional de Estadística Bolivia (INE) 1992 21,252 Instituto Nacional de Estadística Bolivia (INE) 1992 2001 15,181Instituto Nacional de Estadística Bolivia (INE) 2001 36,425Instituto Nacional de Estadística (INE) 2001 2009 23 951 56,451Instituto Nacional de Estadística – Proyecciones (PDF; 1,59 MB)
Politics
In the Bolivian regional election, 2010, Cotoca placed the Verdes (Bolivia) party of Governor Rubén Costas first, although by less than the overall result for the province:
Party Votes % % across Department Verdes (Bolivia) 5,623 34.0% 50.6% MAS 3,533 21.4% 36.3% Tiluchi 3149 19.1% n/a SOL 3067 18.6% n/a ASIP 703 4.3% n/a Broad Front (MNR & Autonomia) 453 2.7% 4,3%
Climate
References
it:Cotoca