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index-February-2007-1.html English News Blog for  Bolivia News Blog February Archive 

Vinto smelter nationalized

By Shannon at 02/20/07 03:23

Swiss mining giant Glencore International AG owned the Vinto plant until last week when President Morales nationalizes the plant. An Aymara Indian shaman performed the ritual sacrifice of a snow-white llama meant to bring good fortune to the plant. The nationalization retained all but a handful of smelter employees, half of which embrace the change while the other half are waiting to see how things will go.

Original source: Yahoo News. [404 Check: was link to http:/ / news. yahoo. com/ s/ ap/ 20070217/ ap_ on_ re_ la_ am_ ca/ bolivia_ nationalization_ 1, anchor: Bolivia nationalizes lone tin smelter]

Demonstrators seize control of a natural gas facility

The protesters, who have blocked roads in the country's gas-rich southeast for the past five days, stormed into the pipeline control station run by Transredes, operated by energy major Royal Dutch Shell. "We're going to keep up our protest until YPFB is rebuilt, so it serves only the Bolivian people and not the multinationals." The protest led Transredes to shut down the pipeline valves for safety reasons. Protesters want YPFB to be overhauled, and they also want the government to relocate YPFB's exploration and exploitation unit to the town of Camiri.

Original source: Topix. [404 Check: was link to http:/ / www. topix. net/ content/ reuters/ 1572248039415852869707212247934183139239, anchor: Protesters occupy natural gas station in Bolivia ]

Oscar Olivera to close session on Latin American studies

Cochabamba residents faced crushing prices for fresh water until Olivera led a protest to keep the water supply of one of South America's poorest country's affordable. Bechtel Corp. bought the local water system 2000. After the purchase, he said, many poor residents had monthly water bills of $20 or more, even though Bolivia's minimum wage at the time was only about $100 a month. Olivera also warned against allowing Latin America's other natural resources to be controlled by large, private corporations.

Original source: Austin American-Statesman. [404 Check: was link to http:/ / www. statesman. com/ news/ content/ news/ stories/ local/ 02/ 04/ 4utconference. html, anchor: Bolivian activist shares story at UT conference]

New accords could solve the Constituent Assembly problems

The agreement by the governing Movement towards Socialism (MAS)"s parliamentary group chief Roman Loayza and Unidad Nacional party leader Samuel Doria Medina establishes that the 21 commissions due to approve reports by absolute majority are to be part of the first draft of the Constitution. Later, assembly members will analyze those articles one by one. Those chapters that do not reach the final stage on July 2 will pass to an agreement commission to seek accords until August 6.

Original source: Prensa Latina. MAS Achieves Accord, Solves Constituent

Bolivian government vows not to use police forces to solve confl

Strikers demand that the government continue forward with its plans of re-founding YPFB, but the latter has new factors to consider. Authorities of the Ministry of Hydrocarbons had organized a meeting in the southern city of Yacuiba with representatives of the neighboring regions, civic leaders of the region rejected the invitation and demanded the meeting be held in their own city, considered the oil capital of Bolivia. As a result, one of the main oil districts in Bolivia has been paralyzed by roadblocks.

Original source: Prensa Latina. New Bolivia Oil Growing Pains

Chavez steps down to return to Peru and face charges

Bolivia's conservative opposition has called for Chavez' extradition to Peru to face old charges. Peruvian officials say they have asked for an international arrest warrant for Chavez, who Bolivia says is a political refugee long ago granted asylum. Chavez has maintained his innocence, calling the revival of the charges against him an attempt by the opposition to weaken Morales' administration.

Original source: International Herald Tribune. [404 Check: was link to http:/ / www. iht. com/ articles/ ap/ 2007/ 02/ 01/ america/ LA -GEN -Bolivia -Morales -Adviser. php, anchor: Top adviser to Bolivia's Morales steps down to face charges in Peru]

Morales insists on indigenous language education

Morales has plans to have all government workers and schoolchildren learn the main indigenous languages. The government estimates that 37 percent of the population speaks a native language that predates the arrival of Spanish colonists in the 16th century. Promoting those languages is part of a broad effort ``to decolonize the mindset and the Bolivian state.'' Education officials say the reemergence of Bolivia's indigenous languages is part of a regional trend. Interest in indigenous communities and traditions has grown in the past 20 years throughout South America.

Original source: Canton Rep. In Bolivia, Speaking Up for Native Languages

Movement towards Socialism party has alternate plan

The assembly plans to propose an alternate voting plan on Wednesday that will include the two-thirds majority the opposition insists on for some issues and revisions, while the main articles are to be decided by absolute majority. They also proposed a popular consultation after the beginning of July. The 70th Amendment seems to be the most controversial issue.

Original source: Prensa Latina. MAS Proposes Assembly Vote Plan

Morales and MAS aren’t listening to the people

Morales got himself elected by wrapping himself I his “indigenous” identity, but he also presched hope to thousands of middle class, but over the last year he has alienated them. Their sentiment is that the President needs to be president for all the people. Morales also said he knew he would make mistakes but that he could admit them and learn from him. But that has yet to happen and many now see him as arrogant. The president also needs to be a force to bring people together and so far he seems to be just splitting them further apart.

Original source: The Democracy Center. Three Messages that Morales and MAS Need to Hear

Morales compromises after losing Senate majority

The elected assembly has been deadlocked on how some constitutional items should be decided, so President Morales has said that issues that cannot be resolved by the constituent assembly can be resolved by referendum. Morales wants a new constitution by early August so the people can vote on it.

Original source: Findlaw. [404 Check: was link to http:/ / news. findlaw. com/ ap/ o/ 51/ 01 -26 -2007/ f3ba000ba62c1bbf. html, anchor: Morales offers flexibility on constitution after losing Senate]