commissioner.org
| Source | Jim Devine |
| Date | 06/06/20/20:55 |
| Nationalization without Expropriation?
By Raquel Gutierrez and Dunia Mokrani On May 1, Evo Morales announced "Supreme Decree #28701" that establishes "the nationalization of Bolivian hydrocarbons." The question is: Is this a nationalization that does not expropriate installations, fields, or infrastructure? The answer can be synthesized in a phrase: there can be nationalization of hydrocarbons without expropriation because these resources were privatized without ever being bought from the state-owned enterprise. This apparent paradox can only be understood by recalling the history of the specific forms of neoliberal privatization in Bolivia. It might seem incredible that national resources were transferred from the public to the private sector without any type of sale, but this is exactly what happened. There was no sale, so now there is no expropriation. The actions taken in Bolivia reinforce the national state, strengthen the Morales government, and modify the terms of relationship between the Bolivian state, its neighboring governments, and transnational corporations. Analyzing things from the point of view of the relations between governments, and between these and transnational corporations, the "nationalization" restores the decision-making autonomy of the Bolivian state, which in the previous administrations was completely subordinated to outside interests and designs. However, in terms of "social sovereignty," or the capacity of the population to intervene in the political and public affairs that concern it, many voices have expressed inconformity with the way in which the action of national dignity was staged within Bolivia. The "nationalization" was presented as a "gift" from Evo to the population on International Workers Day, when the measure is really no more than cautious compliance with the first step of the citizen mandate that brought him to office and years of indigneous and worker mobilizations. Raquel Gutiérrez and Dunia Mokrani are researchers with the Center for Andean and Mesoamerican Studies (Centro de Estudios Andinos y Mesoamericanos-CEAM), in Mexico and Bolivia respectively and analysts on the region for the IRC Americas Program, on line at www.americaspolicy.org. |
Copyright (c) 1998, Joongpil Cho