May 18, 2005
Balaji Reddy
India Daily
India and China in recent years have opened the floodgate of Western companies coming into their countries looking for cheap labor and slack environmental pollution laws. At the same time, the Latin America well known for accommodating Western companies for decades if not centuries have finally started closing their doors to these Western Corporate interests.
Venezuela was first making a move. Brazil and some other countries have also taken some steps. Now Bolivia has almost confiscated all Western Oil and Natural Gas interests and have restricted Western Corporate special Interests.
Bolivia's implementation of a new Hydrocarbons Law on May 16 failed to placate protesters -- mainly highland indigenous groups, peasants and unions demanding the nationalization of the natural gas industry. The protesters also demand the resignation of President Carlos Mesa and the dissolution of Congress. Police in La Paz on May 17 used tear gas and water cannons to stop about 1,000 miners who tried to gain access to the downtown area where the presidential palace and Congress are located. The miners fought back by throwing small pieces of dynamite sticks with lit fuses. There were no immediate reports of injuries or arrests. Other protesters maintained blockades May 17 on the main highways between La Paz, Oruro and Cochabamba.
The Bolivian Hydrocarbons Chamber (CBH), a group representing the foreign oil companies operating in Bolivia, on May 17 called the new Hydrocarbons Law "confiscatory," saying that it would "affect negatively future investments" in Bolivia.
Interestingly, the common people in Latin America are revolting against Western Corporate interests especially with World Trade Organization new push for “fair” trade.
Yesterday, 12,000 farmers and peasants protested against the Americans in Brazil. Some 12,000 Brazilian peasants who are members of the Landless Movement marched to the U.S. Embassy in Brasilia May 17 and pelted the entrance with garbage to protest U.S. intervention in Iraq, Cuba, Venezuela and Haiti. The protesters also burned a U.S. flag while some 200 police officers surrounded the embassy to control possible outbreaks of violence.
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