The Coalition of the Swilling

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May 02, 2006

You Know, Sometimes When You Lie Down With Snakes...

You get bit:

LA PAZ, Bolivia (Reuters) -- Bolivian President Evo Morales ordered the military to occupy nation's natural gas fields Monday after nationalizing the industry and threatening to expel foreign companies that do not recognize state control.

...Top investors in Bolivia's gas industry include Petrobras (the Brazilian National Oil Company) -- which controls more than 45 percent of Bolivia's gas fields -- Spain's Repsol YPF, France's Total and British gas and oil producer BG Group. YPFB alone has no way of financing the development of gas fields.

Kind of a black eye for my old pal Lula. Why, was it he who said back in December

Brazil's Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva and Argentina's Nestor Kirchner praised Wednesday, November 30, Bolivian Indian leader Evo Morales whom opinion polls identify as the front-runner for the December 18 general election in his country.

Meeting in the border town of Puerto Iguazu, President Lula da Silva said that "At no moment in history have we enjoyed the opportunity of having a South America completely devoted to its people."

The Brazilian President went on to say: "Imagine what Chavez's election meant for Venezuela. Imagine what it would mean if Evo Morales won Bolivia's election."

...Brazil is land locked Bolivia's main foreign investor and yields great influence in business and politics.

Be careful what you wish for, my friend, because sometimes it comes true.

Here's his friend Morales in January:

At the joint press conference following his meeting with Lula, Morales denied that his government would expropriate the properties of private companies, saying: "Bolivia will protect private enterprise. Bolivia has nailed down a lot of public and private investment."

Morales said his future government will seek partners in line with new legislation covering the energy sector, but the state would exercise its property rights over the country's natural resources.

Did I just use the People's Daily Online (as in Red China) as a source?

What is with me today?

Posted by Mr. Bingley at May 2, 2006 03:58 PM

Comments

Posted by: -neville in silicon valley at May 2, 2006 05:59 PM

Posted by: Ken Summers at May 2, 2006 09:09 PM