New Bolivian Hydrocarbon Law Snubs Transnationals (stops privatization)

[Robbien]

Bolivia"s Senate passed Friday the new hydrocarbon law, ignoring the government"s objections, which opens the possibility of a presidential veto of the legislation. The law was passed after two intensive days and despite open pressures of transnational executives and financial entities.

The legislation restores state ownership of gas and oil and grants it export monopoly and internal wholesale trade, apart from establishing a tax system that forces the companies to pay for 50 percent of production.

Minister of the Presidency, Jose Galindo, said that the new law could bring about trials against Bolivia, and left the Wednesday session that debated the legislation, which President Carlos Mesa has called unviable.

MAS Deputy Santos Ramirez told Prensa Latina that it is very possible that Mesa veto the law and if he does, the objections will be discussed by the two chambered Congress, which could only ratify it with the vote of two thirds of its members.

http://www.cubaxp.com/modules/news/article-1849.html

[ret5hd]

1. has venezuela exported a bolivarian revolution to bolivia?

viva bolivia's senate!

[Robbien]

2. More likely anger against Bechtel's privatization of water

started it and anger against their country receiving no money from Exxon etal taking their oil.

[bemildred]

4. The issue has been around for a long time now and appears home grown.

A bio of Morales:

In April 2000, Aguas de Tanari, a large multinational corporation, was due to take over the privatised water works in Cochabamba. Water prices were to increase and laws were passed to make it illegal to catch and use rain water. Water would be out of the reach of the majority of residents, 65% of whom live below the poverty line. Mass demonstrations erupted, roads were blocked and running battles where fought with the police and the army until the government gave in. The sell-off was defeated.

Evo Morales, of the Movement to Socialism (MAS), was one of the leaders of this battle. Morales has also led the peasants' struggle against the US-sponsored forced eradication of coca and is a prominent leader of the indigenous Quechua people. Morales won a surprise second place in the June 30 presidential election.

Long before coca was used to make cocaine, the indigenous people of the Andean region, the Aymara and Quechua, chewed coca leaves as a dietary supplement. The consumption of coca leaves and tea is part of daily life for Bolivia's peasants, miners and workers. The US-led “Plan Dignidad” (dignity plan), which seeks to reduce coca production to zero, is seen by them as an attack on the peasant's livelihoods and the indigenous people's way of life.

This US-financed plan involves US military advisers on the ground ordering Bolivian soldiers to attack, kill and displace peasants with US-made weapons. This has led to resistance among the peasants, with several self-defence groups being formed. In 2001, for the first time since coca eradication began, more police and soldiers were killed than peasants.

http://www.greenleft.org.au/back/2002/501/501p16b.htm

[aneerkoinos]

3. Great!

It seems it was smart move from the social movements to keep Mesa around and force the representative system to obey the will of the peopla, and have Mesa suffer the thunder and lightning from US embassy and other corporate cronies.

The battle is not over, but so far so good.

[struggle4progress]

5. kick