Water Privateers Forced Out of Bolivia

Human Rights Defenders:

Cochabamba Federation of Factory Workers in collaboration with the Canadian Union of Public Employees and the New Zealand Water Pressure Group

Rights:

The right to water, to an adequate standard of living, to development, to participation, to freedom of opinion and expression, to freedom of association, to life

Marginalized Group:

The poor

Strategies:

Networking, community mobilizing, advocacy

Problem:

At least six people died during April 2000 mass protests in Bolivia that began after a multinational consortium signed a 40-year concession to provide water and sewer services for Cochabamba, the country’s third largest city. The consortium, led by International Water Limited (IWL) was the single bidder in the sale of the city’s water and sewer services, also assuming responsibility for supplying water for irrigation and electrical generation to the Cochabamba Valley. The sale was precipitated by the World Bank’s urging that Bolivia prioritize water privatization in Cochabamba, arguing that all water users should pay water bills that reflect the full cost of water treatment and delivery, irrespective of their poverty.

The mass protests stemmed from the exorbitant user fee increases for water and sewer services. In some cases, Cochabamba families were billed at rates equal to 20% of their monthly earnings (the median monthly earnings then were approximately US$100.)

Action:

To counter the deleterious effects portended by the water privatization scheme, local groups (including the Cochabamba Federation of Factory Workers) partnered with foreign non-governmental organizations (e.g., the Canadian Union of Public Employees). In one solidarity action, the New Zealand Water Pressure Group hosed down the local Bolivian consulate office with a bright red fire truck, boldly displaying signs saying, “Bolivia, the world is watching you”. The human rights defenders organized a city shut-down, forcing an agreement to reverse the user fee increases, and eventually ensuring that the 40-year concession agreement was never honored.