SANTA CRUZ, Calif. — For almost 20 years, a partial facade of the La Bahia Apartments sat alone near the Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk. New life will soon be injected into the beachfront property.

SANTA CRUZ/LA PAZ, Bolivia, Nov 21 (Reuters) - Tropical, sunny and relatively wealthy, Bolivia's farming region of Santa Cruz has long butted heads with the arid highland political capital La Paz.