WATER ABLAZE - Patagonia Sin Represas

the contract with Suez/Aguas del Illimani be terminated immediately
and that the town’s water supply be operated by a state-run, sociallyorientated
corporation. 8
For years, 40 per cent of the inhabitants of El Alto, particularly
those in the poorer neighbourhoods, had been waiting for their
districts to be supplied with tap water and connected to the sewerage
mains network. Suez had knowingly formulated the contracts so as to
limit its responsibility to cover only the existing infrastructure, which
meant that, as the township grew – and El Alto grew considerably – the
company was under no obligation to extend its services to new areas.
Water activists
protesting outside
the Town Hall
in Tiquipaya, Bolivia
(photo: Indymedia)
Corporate business policies triggered off equally strong indignation
amongst those citizens who could not afford access to drinking water
– although the necessary infrastructure was already in place in their
part of the city – since Suez had raised connection fees from around
US$100-120 previously to $445. In view of the fact that many people
have less than one dollar a day to live on, this would have meant their
paying out several months’ wages just to be connected to the mains
network.
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