Cochabamba Water War

Cochabamba Water War. The Cochabamba Water War was a series of protests that erupted in the Bolivian city of Cochabamba between late 1999 and April 2000. The conflict centered on the privatization of the city's municipal water supply, which was granted to the international consortium Aguas del Tunari, leading to drastic price increases. A broad-based coalition known as the Coalition for the Defense of Water and Life organized massive resistance, culminating in clashes that forced the government to cancel the contract and restore public control.

Background and causes

In September 1999, the government of President Hugo Banzer, adhering to conditions set by international financial institutions like the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, privatized Cochabamba's water system. The contract was awarded to Aguas del Tunari, a consortium led by the U.S. engineering firm Bechtel with partners including the Spanish company Abengoa and Bolivian investors. This move was codified into Law 2029, which granted the company exclusive rights over all water resources, including communal wells and traditional irrigation systems used by farmers in the Cochabamba Valley. The law also prohibited the collection of rainwater without a permit. Shortly after taking control in early 2000, Aguas del Tunari implemented steep tariff hikes, with some bills increasing by over 200%, making water unaffordable for many of the city's poor residents in neighborhoods like the Zona Sur.

The conflict and protests

Public outrage quickly coalesced around the Coalition for the Defense of Water and Life, known as La Coordinadora, a unique alliance led by labor organizer Óscar Olivera and uniting the Federation of Factory Workers of Cochabamba, rural irrigation communities, and the growing cocalero unions led by future president Evo Morales. Supported by the national Bolivian Workers' Center, the coalition began with a four-day general strike in January 2000, which paralyzed the city. After failed negotiations, a more decisive wave of protest began in April, featuring widespread road blockades that cut off Cochabamba. The government of Hugo Banzer responded by declaring a state of siege, deploying military and police forces from the Army of Bolivia and the National Police of Bolivia. Violent clashes, particularly at the Plaza 14 de Septiembre, resulted in at least six civilian deaths and hundreds of injuries. The killing of a 17-year-old protester, Víctor Hugo Daza, became a pivotal moment, intensifying public pressure.

Aftermath and consequences

Faced with an unmanageable crisis and the collapse of civil order, the government capitulated. On April 10, 2000, officials signed an agreement with La Coordinadora to revoke the contract with Aguas del Tunari, which subsequently fled the country. The controversial Law 2029 was repealed, and control of the water utility, renamed SEMAPA, was returned to public hands with citizen oversight. The conflict had immediate political repercussions, weakening the traditional ruling parties and elevating the stature of movement leaders; Evo Morales and his Movement for Socialism would gain national power in the 2005 election. The consortium pursued a $50 million lawsuit against Bolivia via the International Centre for Settlement of Investment Disputes, but mounting international criticism led to a symbolic settlement of just 2 Bolivianos (about 30 cents) in 2006.

Legacy and significance

The Cochabamba Water War is widely regarded as a landmark victory for the global Anti-globalization movement and a powerful case of successful resistance to neoliberal policies. It inspired similar struggles worldwide, such as protests against Suez in Argentina and Uruguay, and became a central narrative in critiques of corporate globalization featured at events like the World Social Forum. The conflict fundamentally altered Bolivian politics, demonstrating the power of grassroots coalitions and paving the way for the Bolivian gas conflict and the eventual presidency of Evo Morales. The slogan "¡El agua es nuestra, carajo!" ("The water is ours, damn it!") endures as a symbol of the fight for communal rights over natural resources against privatization.

Category:2000 in Bolivia Category:Water supply Category:Protests in Bolivia Category:History of Cochabamba