WATER ABLAZE - Patagonia Sin Represas

who oppose President Evo Morales’ plans to renationalise the gas and
oil reserves.
At the beginning of July 2007, the governors of the departments
of Santa Cruz, Tarija, Pandi and Beni presented their plans for
future regional autonomy. What this means in plain English is: these
governors, in whose departments the largest gas and oil deposits are
located, wish to become financially independent – and the five poorer
highland provinces will be left empty-handed.
We can only hope that enough strong international opposition
can be mobilised to protect the Bolivian people against this kind of
underhand “development aid” and support them on their journey
towards a more equitable future.
A local activist formulated one of the serious problems currently
facing his country as follows: “Evo Morales did not reject the PADEP
‘development aid’ programme. He and his administration have in fact
joined forces with the German GTZ, and this programme forms the
core of the president’s economic policy for Bolivia, as shown by the
construction of dams and the exploitation of new oil and gas reserves.
The government may have closed the door on one form of trade and
cooperation, but it has opened new doors to the GTZ and other socalled
‘development aid agencies’.”
5.4 The New Bolivian Constitution Recognises Water as a Human
Right, but Will This Actually Become Reality
in Everyday Life
by Marcela Olivera
At the end of 2007, a new Bolivian constitution was drawn up
for the Constituent Assembly. From the very beginning, however,
the social movements were highly critical of the way in which the
Assembly was made up, since it was not representative of Bolivian
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