Beyond the Gas War: Indigenous Bolivians Fight for "Nationalization of the Government"

The political situation in Latin America's poorest country continues to heat up and it's being fueled by a battle over who will have control of the country's substantial natural gas reserves. For years, Bolivia has seen a war between pro-US and pro-corporate regimes and an opposition composed largely of indigenous communities, labor unions and dissident political movements.

At the center of these battles has been the debate over control of Bolivia's water, oil and now natural gas. This week, massive contingents of indigenous communities have escalated their campaign to call for the nationalization of the country's natural gas industry.

Yesterday, tens of thousands of people blockaded roads in and out of the capital La Paz, while protesters in the militant city of El Alto blockaded highways connecting the capital to the rest of the country and to the Peruvian and Chilean borders. A councilman from El Alto, Roberto de la Cruz, was among four people arrested. There were also confrontations with the police who used rubber bullets and water cannons on the demonstrations. American Airlines suspended its flights in and out of Bolivia, after activists threatened to occupy Bolivia's international airport in El Alto. Meanwhile, airport workers announced a 24-hour strike for today.

The current political crisis has highlighted a division between the charismatic opposition leader, Evo Morales and his Movement Toward Socialism party and the more radical indigenous communities and leaders. The indigenous groups say Morales has sold out and engaged in unnecessary compromises. They are demanding total nationalization of the country's natural gas industry and a rewriting of the constitution, demands that have significant popular support. For his part, Morales has been pushing for heavy taxation of foreign companies exploiting Bolivia's gas. That is essentially what the Bolivian Senate passed last week-a hydrocarbon law that would tax foreign companies 50% of their profits from Bolivia. While the law has shaken the foundation of foreign companies operating there, the indigenous groups say this is not enough. This is what Evo Morales said on May 17.

* Evo Morales, speaking on May 17:"We could not continue seeing these laws harm the country. We are asking for the repeal of other laws and the marches are going to continue. They are marches fundamentally for the unity of the Bolivian people, marches for the hydrocarbon law that is a resource that should benefit Bolivians."

That was Evo Morales, leader of Bolivia's Movement Toward Socialism party. While the specifics of the fight over control of natural gas is dominating the current crisis, many observers say the battle is already headed well beyond that to the bigger issue over how long the current regime will last and who will next govern Bolivia.

We go now to Bolivia, where we are joined by two people. Jim Shultz is the Executive Director of the Democracy Center in Cochabama, Bolivia. His latest book is called "Deadly Consequences: The International Monetary Fund and Bolivia"s Black February." He writes a blog on the situation in Bolivia that can be found at DemocracyCtr.org. And we are joined by Oscar Olivera. He is the president of the Cochabamba Federation of Factory Workers and is widely seen as the key figure in forcing the Bechtel corporation out of Bolivia in 2000. He is also one of the leading voices in the international anti-corporate globalization movement. He has a new book out called "Cochabamba: Water War in Bolivia." And, we are joined in our studio by Moises Gutierrez Rojas. He is a representative of the Aymara Quichua Indigenous organization in Bolivia. He is in New York to attend the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

* Jim Shultz, Executive Director of the Democracy Center in Cochabama, Bolivia. His latest book is called "Deadly Consequences: The International Monetary Fund and Bolivia"s Black February." He writes a blog on the situation in Bolivia that can be found at DemocracyCtr.org.
* Oscar Olivera, president of the Cochabamba Federation of Factory Workers in Cochabamba, Bolivia and is one of the leading voices in the global anti-corporate globalization movement. He has a new book out called "Cochabamba: Water War in Bolivia."
* Moises Gutierrez Rojas, Representative of the Aymara Quichua Indigenous organization in Bolivia. He is in New York to attend the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues.

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