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  Support El Alto, Bolivia - Take action now!The situation is urgent! Key community leaders are now in the 10th day of a hunger strike. Police are threatening to intervene in the picket. Please sign on to this letter by sending your name, name of your organization, and country to info@laredvida.org prior to March 24, 2005. We also wish to encourage you to fax or e-mail the Spanish version of this letter (below) on your organizational letterhead to the addresses listed at the bottom of the page. For more background information on the struggle in Bolivia go to: www.democracyctr.org or www.bolivia.indymedia.org Thank you so very much for your support! Dear We, the undersigned, wish to express solidarity with the 200,000 inhabitants of the city of El Alto, Bolivia who do not have access to potable water. We condemn the activities of the water transnational Aguas de Illimani (majority shareholder, Suez) that raised water rates to unaffordable levels, imposed high connection fees, and left many using untreated water from rivers and streams. We wish to stand in support of the courageous and admirable citizens of El Alto who successfully organized to demand the termination of the contract with the water transnational Suez. In specific, we wish to express our solidarity and support for the following: 1. We support the proposal of the citizen's of El Alto who have called for a new, public water company with democratic governance, social responsibility and citizen oversight. 2. We support the citizens of El Alto in their total rejection of the government's current proposal to create a supposed "New Model" of a public/private partnership where Suez would continue to hold 35% of the shares. 3. We condemn the actions of the transnational water company Suez that, because of the contract termination, is now threatening to initiate a lawsuit against the government of Bolivia in the World Bank-sponsored International Centre for the Settlement of Investment Disputes. This reflects a direct conflict of interest because the World Bank held 8% of the shares in the old water company Aguas de Illimani. 4. We call on the government of Bolivia and the mayors of El Alto and La Paz to ensure that the democratic and human rights of the citizens of Bolivia to peaceably assemble, protest and express their grievances be respected. 5. We urge you to take immediate action to resolve this situation. The serious of the crisis is reflected by the hungar strike that the leaders of the Federation of Neighborhood Associations, FEJUVE have been undergoing since February 21, 2005. The health of a key leader of FEJUVE is now in serious condition. We wish to press upon you the greatest possible urgency. Please respond to the grievances of the citizens of El Alto and La Paz. We look forward to receiving your answer to this letter. Cordialmente, [your name] Addresses for fax and e-mail letters: Señor Carlos de Mesa Señor José Luís Paredes Señor Juan del Granado (Spanish version) Please send to fax & e-mail addresses above! Señores Nosotros queremos expresar nuestra solidaridad con los 200.000 habitantes de la población de El Alto, Bolivia que no tienen acceso al agua potable. Condenamos la actitud de la transnacional Aguas del Illimani (cuya accionista mayoritaria es la Suez) que ha elevado las tarifas a niveles impagables, impuesto altos montos a las instalaciones y dejado a gran parte de la población sin la posibilidad de acceso a este servicio. Nos solidarizamos y apoyamos el admirable coraje de los habitantes de El Alto quienes se han organizado para demandar la cancelación del contrato con la transnacional Suez. Pero en especial, nos solidarizamos con ellos en lo siguiente: 1. Apoyamos la propuesta de los ciudadanos de El Alto que están buscando la creación de una compañía publica-social, con democracia, responsabilidad y control social. 2. Apoyamos a la población de El Alto en su total rechazo a la propuesta de crear un "nuevo modelo" con la llamada Sociedad Anónima Mixta y donde la Suez siga manteniendo el control del 35% de las acciones. 3. Condenamos las acciones de la transnacional del agua Suez porque después de la terminación del contrato esta amenazando con iniciar una demanda legal al gobierno de Bolivia en el Centro Internacional de Arreglo de Diferencias Relativas a Inversiones (CIADI), una corte del Banco Mundial. Esto refleja un directo conflicto de intereses debido a que el Banco Mundial cuenta con el 8% de las acciones de la compañía Aguas del Illimani. 4. Hacemos un llamado al gobierno de Bolivia y los alcaldes de El Alto y La Paz para asegurar que los derechos humanos y los que la democracia confiere a los ciudadanos de Bolivia, como el derecho a tener asambleas, protestar y expresar sus reclamos, sea respetado. 5. Les pedimos que tomen acciones inmediatas para resolver esta situación. La seriedad de este caso se refleja en la huelga de hambre iniciada por los lideres de la Federación de Juntas Vecinales, FEJUVE desde el 21 de febrero (y que esta extendiéndose a otros departamentos). La salud del máximo dirigente de la FEJUVE esta en riesgo. Esperamos que atiendan de inmediato las demandas de los ciudadanos de El Alto y La Paz y esperamos recibir una respuesta a esta carta. Cordialmente, more resources
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