| Official Name: | Punata Municipality |
| Settlement Type: | Municipality |
| Flag Size: | 100px |
| Seal Size: | 70px |
| Pushpin Map: | Bolivia |
| Pushpin Label Position: | bottom |
| Pushpin Map Caption: | Location of the Punata Municipality within Bolivia |
| Subdivision Type: | Country |
| Subdivision Name: | Bolivia |
| Subdivision Type1: | Department |
| Subdivision Name1: | Cochabamba Department |
| Subdivision Type2: | Province |
| Subdivision Name2: | Punata Province |
| Seat Type: | Seat |
| Seat: | Punata |
| Leader Title: | Mayor |
| Leader Name: | Leticia Camacho (MAS-IPSP) |
| Leader Title1: | Council President |
| Unit Pref: | Imperial |
| Area Total Km2: | 85 |
| Population As Of: | 2001 |
| Population Total: | 26140 |
| Population Blank1 Title: | Ethnicities |
| Population Blank1: | Quechuas |
| Population Blank2 Title: | Religions |
| Timezone: | BOT |
| Utc Offset: | -4 |
| Coordinates: | -17.55°N -65.8333°W |
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.[1]
The municipality consists of only one canton, Punata Canton. It is identical to the municipality.
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[2]), 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.[3]
| Date Began | Date Ended | Mayor | Party | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 1993 | José Antonio Gonzales Alvarado | Political Accord (MIR–ADN)[4] | |
| 1995 | 1995 | José Antonio Gonzales Alvarado | Revolutionary Left Movement (Bolivia) (MIR) | |
| 1997 | 2002 | José Antonio Gonzales Alvarado | Revolutionary Nationalist Movement | |
| 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.[5] [6] Meanwhile, the titular council members met in Camacho Rancho for a year, from where they pressed legal demands against the mayoral administration.[7] | |
| 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 | |