Please note that the content of this book primarily consists of articles available from Wikipedia or other free sources online. Bolivia held a referendum on the future of its natural gas reserves on Sunday, 18 July 2004. The referendum was one of the first promises made by President Carlos Mesa upon assuming the presidency in the aftermath of the Bolivian Gas War of October 2003 that saw his predecessor, Gonzalo Sánchez de Lozada, forced to resign and to flee the country. The referendum was largely intended to quell the political unrest seen during the Gas War in 2003. Some have pointed out that the complete nationalization of gas resources the main demand of the protesters and, indeed, of the majority of the Bolivian population was not a potential outcome of the referendum.