Cochabamba Declaration on the Right to Water
Date: Wed, 17 Jan 2001 16:46:38 -0500

An update on the historic victory of people over privatization in
Cochabamba, Bolivia


     "Aguas del Tunari/Bechtel ... are currently suing the
     Government of Bolivia for close to US $40 million.  They want
     Bolivians to pay for their bad investment! ... Transnationals
     such as Bechtel are using bilateral trade agreements to bypass
     the legal sovereignty of countries."


     "Here, in this city which has been an inspiration to the world
     for its retaking of that right through civil action, courage
     and sacrifice standing as heroes and heroines against
     corporate, institutional and governmental abuse, and trade
     agreements which destroy that right, in use of our freedom and
     dignity, we declare the following:

     "For the right to life, for the respect of nature and the uses
     and traditions of our ancestors and our peoples, for all time
     the following shall be declared as inviolable rights with
     regard to the uses of water given us by the earth:

     1)    Water belongs to the earth and all species and is sacred
     to life, therefore, the world's water must be conserved,
     reclaimed and protected for all future generations and its
     natural patterns respected.

     2)    Water is a fundamental human right and a public trust to
     be guarded by all levels of government, therefore, it should
     not be commodified, privatized or traded for commercial
     purposes.  These rights must be enshrined at all levels of
     government.  In particular, an international treaty must
     ensure these principles are noncontrovertable.

     3)    Water is best protected by local communities and
     citizens who must be respected as equal partners with
     governments in the protection and regulation of water.
     Peoples of the earth are the only vehicle to promote earth
     democracy and save water."

January 13, 2001

 Dear Friends,

Warm greetings from the city of Cochabamba, Bolivia. My name is Sarah,
and I was present last April when Cochabamba struggled through a week of
blockades, general strikes and violent protests, which came to be known
as the "War for Water".  I am currently collaborating with a group of
Bolivian and foreign activists, to support local efforts to maintain
control over the region=92s water system. Essential to this struggle is
the cooperation of individuals such as yourselves, who have demonstrated
an interest in battling worldwide trends in privatizing water and
commodifying natural resources.

The participation of the international community in support of Bolivian
efforts has had an important history. During the April "War for Water"/
"Guerra por el Agua", foreigners living in Bolivia and abroad
contributed articles, campaigns, and their activism in the streets.
Sharing information has allowed citizens of all countries to resist
privatization more effectively. Articles sent via Internet inspired many
concerned people to write letters of protest to the San Francisco based
Bechtel Corporation, influencing them to abandon their investments in
the privatization of the Cochabamba water system.    More recently, we
have witnessed international solidarity efforts bringing purpose and
resolution to the local struggle for water rights. Therefore, thank you
for your participation, concern, and solidarity efforts.  It is our
pleasure to inform you of recent events in Cochabamba.

The Challenges after Winning Back Our Water

In April a broad-based movement of labor, peasants, and university
students stood behind the Coordinadora de Defensa del Agua y la Vida
(Coalition for the Defense of Water and Life) and to take back their
water. Their efforts led to the de-privatization of the local water
system--ousting Aguas del Tunari (AdT), Bechtel affiliate-- and
substantive changes in water legislation.  Once the international
corporation left, the challenge for citizens was to monitor the ac