¡Ya nacionalisacion!
On May 1, in Plaza Murillo in La Paz, Evo Morales announced the nationalisation of gas, making good on an election promise and one of the demands of the Bolivian people. I was there for this incredible announcement with my good friend Mark Goudkamp from Australia. He has written an account of our day and I though it would be good to have a different voice for a change. So here is Marks account.....stay tuned for photos.
Primera de Mayo en La Paz
First, Paula and I watched and participated in the COB
(Centro de Obrera Boliviana) march which had around
20000 people, including mine workers, factory workers
(including textile and large soft drink factory
contingents), postal workers, and even a contingent of
kids who work on the streets. This march was
consciously separate from the rally organised by
Movimiento Al Solcialismo (movement towards socialism,
the party of Evo Morales which is now in government).
We headed up to the Plaza de Murillo, where the MAS
rally took place. The stage was set up in front of the
Presidential Palace, which Morales has chosen not to
live in). After numerous groups played traditional
andean songs (including "song of the condor" which was
put to different lyrics by simon and garfunkel!), Evo
morales spoke. I say spoke rather than appeared
because, he spoke from ground level, I presume so that
symbolically he was on the level of the people. The
largest cheer came when he said that if the foreign
energy companies don´t respect us, they can get out of
the country. Unknown to the crowd, after he spoke he
headed to the La Paz to fly to a gas field in Yaquiba
on the Argentinean border to announce the
nationalisation of Bolivia´s gas fields and
refinieries.
It was then Vice President Alvarro Garcia (an
ex-Marxist guerilla and one of the few non-indigenous
cabinet members) who announced the nationalisation
decree (from the balcony, not ground level). The
largely indigenous crowd cheered, while some said
"bien dicho" (well said).
The government has given the companies six months to
sign new contracts.
Mark wrote this before Evo returned from Yacuiba. As we left the internet cafe, I thought I heard Evos voice from the Plaza so we ran down the hill to hear the last part of his speech. There he was, he had just returned from the gas fields in the South to address the crowd that had been there since early in the morning. Afterwards there was singing and dancing in the streets and a universtiy choir singing the Internationale. It was quite a day and, for me, yet another emotionally charged day in Bolivia.
This country leaves me nothing but optomistic about the state of the world.
Primera de Mayo en La Paz
First, Paula and I watched and participated in the COB
(Centro de Obrera Boliviana) march which had around
20000 people, including mine workers, factory workers
(including textile and large soft drink factory
contingents), postal workers, and even a contingent of
kids who work on the streets. This march was
consciously separate from the rally organised by
Movimiento Al Solcialismo (movement towards socialism,
the party of Evo Morales which is now in government).
We headed up to the Plaza de Murillo, where the MAS
rally took place. The stage was set up in front of the
Presidential Palace, which Morales has chosen not to
live in). After numerous groups played traditional
andean songs (including "song of the condor" which was
put to different lyrics by simon and garfunkel!), Evo
morales spoke. I say spoke rather than appeared
because, he spoke from ground level, I presume so that
symbolically he was on the level of the people. The
largest cheer came when he said that if the foreign
energy companies don´t respect us, they can get out of
the country. Unknown to the crowd, after he spoke he
headed to the La Paz to fly to a gas field in Yaquiba
on the Argentinean border to announce the
nationalisation of Bolivia´s gas fields and
refinieries.
It was then Vice President Alvarro Garcia (an
ex-Marxist guerilla and one of the few non-indigenous
cabinet members) who announced the nationalisation
decree (from the balcony, not ground level). The
largely indigenous crowd cheered, while some said
"bien dicho" (well said).
The government has given the companies six months to
sign new contracts.
Mark wrote this before Evo returned from Yacuiba. As we left the internet cafe, I thought I heard Evos voice from the Plaza so we ran down the hill to hear the last part of his speech. There he was, he had just returned from the gas fields in the South to address the crowd that had been there since early in the morning. Afterwards there was singing and dancing in the streets and a universtiy choir singing the Internationale. It was quite a day and, for me, yet another emotionally charged day in Bolivia.
This country leaves me nothing but optomistic about the state of the world.
posted by Paula Pfoeffer at
12:28 am
