[list_indonesia] [ppiindia] Workers and peasants' groups join forces
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- Date: Sun, 27 Mar 2005 20:51:20 +0200
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http://www.workers.org/2005/world/bolivia-0331/
As corporations grab for Bolivia's riches
Workers and peasants' groups join forces
By Rebeca Toledo
Published Mar 23, 2005 1:41 PM
For several weeks, the Bolivian masses have mounted effective protests and
blockades in every department in Bolivia. Indigenous people, trade unionists,
peasants, women and students have come together in the streets to press for the
nationalization of gas, electricity and oil, among other demands on the
government of Carlos Mesa, a U.S.-educated politician.
Bolivia is the second-poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean, just
ahead of Haiti. Nearly half of the 8.7 million Boli vians live on less than $2
per day. Seventy percent live below the poverty level. The gap between rich and
poor, Euro pean descendant and Indigenous, is widening.
However, Bolivia is rich in natural resources, including the second-biggest
reserves of natural gas in Latin America, after Venezuela. These reserves
remain mostly untapped. But these resources are in the hands of private
corporations, bringing about the social and economic contradictions that dog
Bolivia.
Who should benefit from the country's natural resources? The 26 foreign oil
companies in Bolivia, such as Exxon-Mobil (U.S.), Total (France), British Gas
and Repsol (Spain) have their answer.
The masses, disciplined and well organized, have their own answer. "First they
took our silver, then they took our tin, they took everything," said Carmelo
Colque. "The oil and gas is all we've got left. We Bolivians have awakened, we
won't let them have it." (Houston Chronicle, March 19)
Class war over water, gas
For many years now, the rich oligarchy in Bolivia has been trying to sell off
the country's resources. In 2000, in what became known as the "Water War,"
their attempt to privatize the entire water supply aroused fierce protests.
Then, in October 2003, in the "Gas War," President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada
fled the country after massive blockades and protests against his plan to sell
off the country's oil and gas to the U.S. and Mexico. The plan failed.
Seventeen months later, the presidency of Carlos Mesa, who replaced Lozada, is
again facing massive protests, even after a referendum last year that allegedly
gave Mesa a mandate to increase the exploitation of the natural resources.
For example, in El Alto, the French com pany Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux runs the
water supply. It controls a large proportion of the world water services market
and is allied with the World Bank. Many residents of El Alto live on 50 cents a
day. To set up water services with the French company costs $450 per household.
Because Suez Lyonnaise des Eaux denied water to more than 80,000 families, the
people of El Alto mobilized and forced the Mesa government to cancel its
contract with the company in January of this year. But that wasn't good enough.
The people demanded that the company leave immediately and receive no
compensation. El Alto, which started as a shantytown suburb of La Paz, the
capital, and now houses 800,000 people, is still raging with blockades and
protests.
One of the main demands of the national protests and blockades has been a hike
in royalties paid by the foreign oil companies from 18 percent to 50 percent.
After Congress refused to accept Mesa's resignation on March 8, street
blockades and protests escalated, bringing the country to a virtual standstill
by March 10. Nearly 1,500 trucks were stranded with their supplies rotting
outside of the main cities. The road to La Paz, the capital, was completely
blocked.
Although Mesa tried to call out the middle class to support him, the numbers
did not match those of the workers and peasants. So Mesa resorted to
threatening to arrest all the protesters. Bolivian Workers Confederation leader
Felipe Quispe responded, "Let him first arrest the real blockaders-the IMF and
World Bank-they are the ones blocking any progress."
On March 17, the Lower House of Congress dealt the president another blow by
passing a bill that added a 32-percent tax on top of the 18-percent royalty
paid by the foreign oil companies, and made it non-deductible to boot.
As a result of this vote, the blockades were called off to await a Senate vote
on Tuesday, March 22. Evo Morales, leader of the Movement Towards Socialism and
a member of the Lower House, explained that the protest would continue outside
of Congress. He vowed that blockades would resume unless the oil companies were
made to pay.
The struggle has led to the formation of the "Pact for the Dignity and
Sovereignty of the Bolivian People." This pact was signed by many organizations
carrying out the protests, including the Bolivian Workers Central, the Bolivian
Workers Confederation, the Movement Towards Socia lism, the Coordination for
the Defense of Gas and the Federation of Neigh borhood Boards of El Alto.
Who will control the riches of Bolivia? This historic unity could be the
catalyst for future struggles to determine who it will be.
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