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Ear to the Ground

Nationalization Becomes Electric

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Posted on May 1, 2010
Morales
AP / Juan Karita

President Evo Morales says he wants to put the country’s resources into the “hands of the Bolivians.”

President Evo Morales is pressing forward with his nationalization program in Bolivia, seizing four private electric companies Saturday morning. The government now controls 80 percent of the country’s power generation.—JCL

The BBC:

Bolivian President Evo Morales has ordered the nationalisation of four private electricity companies.

Police moved into the offices of Corani, Valle Hermoso and Guaracachi firms, following Mr Morales’ decree.

Corani is half owned by a subsidiary of France’s GDF Suez. Guaracachi’s main partner is Britain’s Rurelec, while ELFEC and Valle Hermoso are local.

President Morales said that the government now controlled 80% of electricity generation in the country.

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By jeff, May 2, 2010 at 8:09 am Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

I’m sure all the people who put so much time and effort
investing in those companies are thrilled that the govt
is stepping in ans SEIZING them.

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By American Observer, May 1, 2010 at 7:30 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

At least someone’s government and leadership is doing something productive and courageous.  I bet their people don’t need to go anywhere else for jobs, and they don’t allow people to enter illegally and take their jobs, either.

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By gerard, May 1, 2010 at 2:37 pm Link to this comment
(Unregistered commenter)

Ideologies aside, why shouldn’t the people of any given country deserve to control their natural resources? What is fair about allowing the motive of profit-taking to supercede people’s right of access, decision-making and control of exploitation?

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By Commune115, May 1, 2010 at 11:25 am Link to this comment

Long live the Bolivian Revolution! May it spread to Peru!

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By Gmonst, May 1, 2010 at 10:49 am Link to this comment

It will be interesting to see how this pans out for the Bolivians.  Certainly won’t make Morales any more popular with free-market demagogues.  I personally like the idea of utilities such as power and water being publicly owned and run without a profit motive.  It makes some sense to me. 

I personally think there should be a lot more openness and acceptance of various governments applying different approaches to governance.  It gives a lot better picture of what works and what doesn’t.  However the US always seems to operate on an self-evident sense of superiority, running around the world like a self-righteous parent telling all the “small” countries what is best for them.  Seems underlying all the rhetoric is just a desire from very wealthy people to be able to carve a profit from every nook and cranny of the planet.

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