Bolivian civic leaders suspend Repsol-YPF protest

LA PAZ, Aug 14 (Reuters) - Civic leaders in a southeastern Bolivian city called off a strike on Friday to protest an oil exploration plan involving Spanish oil major Repsol YPF after the government agreed to review the planned investment.

Civic leaders in Camiri, located in Bolivia's Chaco province, are opposed to a $500 million plan between the Bolivian state-run energy company YPFB and Repsol YPF (REP.MC: Quote, Profile, Research) to develop nearby gas fields.

The leaders, who are calling for YPFB to carry out the plan without any involvement from foreign companies, said they were suspending any protests until Aug. 24 when the government will discuss the investment scheme with a regional assembly.

"It's not a victory yet, just a step forward," said local leader Mirko Orgaz.

On Friday, the Bolivian government also said it was looking to reach an agreement with indigenous tribes in the Amazon who threatened to block an $800 million joint oil exploration plan by YPFB and Venezuela's PDVSA on environmental grounds.

The Repsol YPF and PDVSA projects represent the largest investments under the leftist government of Bolivian President Evo Morales after his 2006 nationalization of the key natural gas export industry, which supplies Argentina and Brazil.

Major oil firms operating in Bolivia also include Brazil's Petrobras (PETR4.SA: Quote, Profile, Research)(PBR.N: Quote, Profile, Research) and France's Total (TOTF.PA: Quote, Profile, Research). (Reporting by Carlos Quiroga; Writing by Luis Andres Henao; editing by Jim Marshall)