Fifteen years of community-controlled water in Bolivia
This year marks the fifteenth anniversary of the victory of the communities of Bolivia over private water corporations. Not only did popular power reverse the plan to privatize the water, but the many hundreds of communities surrounding Cochabamba managed to keep their water as a common good, controlled and managed by the community directly and democratically.
The past few decades have witnessed a massive increase in attempts to commodify natural resources across Latin America. Almost all these attempts have been met with powerful community mobilizations and resistance. There have been many victories, but also losses. Successes have taken place, for example, in Argentina with the defeat of Monsanto, three consecutive mining companies in La Rioja and a paper mill on the border with Uruguay.
Marina Sitrin interviews Marcela
Olivera, an activist in Bolivia’s Water Wars of 2000, about the
victories of the movement and its ongoing legacy today.
Olivera, an activist in Bolivia’s Water Wars of 2000, about the
victories of the movement and its ongoing legacy today.
