Bolivian Gas Crisis

international | anti-capitalism | news report Saturday October 04, 2003 18:25 by Sian Muldowney sianmuldowney at yahoo dot co dot uk Bolivia

Social and Political unrest escalates in Bolivia as a result of proposed plans to sell the country´s natural gas to US and Mexico. Protests and blockades continue and the government defends the use of military force.

BOLIVIAN GAS CRISIS

In recent weeks there have been widespread protests in Bolivia concerning the sale of natural gas to the US and Mexico. Almost 20 days ago campesiños(peasants), cocoa farmers and different unions established road blockades on the main roads around La Paz and on borders with Peru. Bolivia’s main opposition leader, Evo Morales of the Movement Towards Socialism Party (MIS) warned yesterday that the government has until Sunday to change its`economic policies and nationalise the country’s gas resources or face nation-wide blockades and strikes.

Bolivia has the largest reserve of natural gas in Latin America and is negotiating the sale of the gas to the US and Mexico. In addition to the sale of the gas, demonstrators are incensed by plans to export the gas through ports in Chile. There exists much animosity between the two nations due to the fact that Chile annexed Bolivia’s access to the Pacific in a war in 1879.

The Bolivians are demanding that that the gas be nationalised and be delivered for free to over 250,000 homes. This "Gas War" is taking place against a backdrop of a long lasting battle between the government and the cocoa farmers. The American War against drugs has resulted in the erradication of thousands of hectares of crops. Coupled with IMF structural adjustment policies the campesinos have suffered greatly at the hands of foreign influence. The issue of gas has only fuelled their anger.

On September 19th, protests took place throughout the country, tens of thousands were thought to have marched. The demonstrators were calling for the nationalisation of gas, better wages, better health care and increased spending on education. A 70 point plan has been written stating their demands. In Cochabamba, in the South West of the country, Evo Morales addressed the crowd threatening the government if they proceeded with the sale of the gas.

The following day, the actions of the Bolivian military and police resulted in the death on 6 Aymaran peasants (including an 8 year old girl). The military were trying to `rescue` about 800 tourists (including 40 foreigners) who had been caught in a road block for a week in Sorata, a town north of La Paz. Protestors burned down local government buildings and the police station. In Warisata, south of Sorata, tensions
between protestors and the military escalated and resulted in the army and the police started firing. Some campesiños retaliated with gunfire and stones. The result was 6 dead and 25 injured.

The government have argued that this action on the part of the military was justified, that the soldiers were under threat of ambush. Human Rights Organisations who examined the scene have denied this stating there was no evidence of an ambush. Investigations recovered spent shells from government weapons that had been indiscriminately fired in to schools and homes.

The Bolivian president, Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada, has argued that the revenue generated from the sale of the gas will be invested directly for health care and education. However many Bolivians feel that foreign companies will be the only ones to benefit.

Last week, La Paz witnessed more protests when thousands of teachers took to the streets to demand higher wages and the resignation of the president. Throughout the rest of the city thousands of campesiños, workers and students called for land reform and for the cessation of government plans to export the gas. Students, on campus, threw rocks and burnt rubber tyres and the riot police responded with tear gas.

The events of the last three weeks have weakened the government with many different groups calling for the resignation of Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada. Evo Morales has called on the UN to intervene in the crisis and has not ruled out force as a means of removing the president. Monday 6th October looms as D-Day, if the government has not changed its policy and nationalised the gas, the war will escalate and the country faces large scale social unrest.