Newsgroup: it.politica.internazionale
Titolo: Sudamerica. Sinistra e petrolio

Power and Interest News Report (PINR)
http://www.pinr.com
con...@pinr.com
+1 (312) 242-1874
------------------------------
04 May 2006
In light of today's Economic Brief on Bolivia, it is recommended that you
read PINR's in-depth background analysis on Bolivia:
"Bolivia's Evo Morales Shifts the Hemispheric Balance of Power"
http://www.pinr.com/report.php?ac=view_report&report_id=417
------------------------------
Economic Brief: Bolivia Takes Control of its Energy Industry
Drafted By:
http://www.pinr.com
After winning Bolivia's presidential election in December 2005, leftist
leader Evo Morales pledged to fulfill his campaign promise of taking control
of Bolivia's large gas reserves from multinational energy corporations;
these international companies had invested in Bolivia for the past 20 years
during pro-U.S. administrations in La Paz.
Morales, like fellow leftist Hugo Chavez in Venezuela, pursues an ideology
that is opposed to Washington's neoliberal market model and instead
encourages what PINR analyst Dr. Michael A. Weinstein has labeled
"cooperative socialism and regional integration." Morales, an indigenous
Aymara, won power based upon his promises to cater to the poor and
indigenous community. Bolivia remains South America's poorest country. [See:
"Bolivia's Evo Morales Shifts the Hemispheric Balance of Power"]
On April 30, Morales fulfilled this campaign promise and nationalized the
country's hydrocarbon resources, ordering Bolivia's armed forces to occupy
56 oil and gas installations. The decision was expected, but nevertheless
surprised international investors due to the boldness of the action.
On May 1, La Paz announced its terms, stating that oil companies will have
six months to negotiate new contracts that will be more favorable to
Bolivia; in the interim period, La Paz will raise the tax and royalty rate
given to the Bolivian government from 50 percent to 82 percent. The May 1
decree also secures La Paz a majority stake in 67 energy fields. If the
multinational energy companies do not agree to the terms, then the
government, according to the decree, will order them out of the country.
In December 2005, PINR warned of this outcome, and stated that when Morales
moves on the energy industry, "the foreign hydrocarbon companies will
probably acquiesce in more favorable contract terms for Bolivia, as they
have in Venezuela, but they are likely to litigate if they are pushed
against the wall and might diminish their rate of investments." This
December 2005 statement is still accurate today, and it is likely that
multinationals will meet Bolivia's demands since neoliberal policies
throughout South America are on the wane due to successive elections that
have placed leftist leaders in power, in countries such as Brazil,
Venezuela, Ecuador, Bolivia and to a lesser degree Chile, and a populist
leadership in Peru. [See: "Bolivia's Evo Morales Shifts the Hemispheric
Balance of Power"]
Foreign oil companies will have to adapt to these developments since they
are occurring throughout the continent. In Venezuela, for instance, Caracas
forced multinational oil companies to renegotiate their contracts and placed
retroactive tax hikes on them, actions that the multinational oil companies
largely accepted.
Nevertheless, Bolivia's actions sparked an interesting development in South
America. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva proposed an emergency
meeting to discuss possible solutions to the crisis sparked by Bolivia's
actions. Brasilia has important energy interests in Bolivia; for instance,
Brazilian major Petrobras has invested US$1.5 billion in Bolivia's natural
gas sector and $2 billion in a projected gas pipeline to convoy the gas to
Brazil. Indeed, Bolivia supplies approximately 50 percent of Brazil's total
gas needs. Today, May 4, the presidents of Brazil, Bolivia, Venezuela and
Argentina will meet in Puerto Iguazu, Argentina to discuss the crisis.
It is possible that a moderate left, represented by the Brazilian and
Argentinean governments, will try to put pressure on more socialist- and
populist-oriented leaderships, such as those of Hugo Chavez and Evo Morales,
in order to limit their strong economic nationalism; additionally, the
moderate left may call for more coordinated energy policies for the whole
Latin American continent. Similar to the European Union, energy security is
perceived by Latin American decision-makers as a regional issue and one that
needs consistent regional policies.
Should the four states fail to find a diplomatic solution to the crisis,
political tension between the two different leftist orientations in today's
South American political landscape may escalate. One key development to
watch is whether La Paz offers more favorable terms to Brazil's Petrobras
than it offers to multinational companies not located on the continent.
Additionally, in light of the resistance to Bolivia's actions against
multinational energy corporations, it will be important to note whether La
Paz continues its aggressive actions in other critical sectors of the
economy, such as in the mining industry.

 ------------------------------











aggiungi anche questo :
Peru': Humala, se vinco nazionalizzo gli idrocarburi come Morales 
LIMA
"Anche io nazionalizzerò le risorse naturali. Se sarò eletto non
esproprierò le compagnie straniere, ma chiederò la rinegoziazione dei
contratti". Lo ha detto, secondo la edizione on line del quotidiano di
Lima 'la Republica', il candidato nazionalista alla presidenza del Perù
Ollanta Humala. "Rispetterò le leggi, ma utilizzerò i meccanismi offerti
dal sistema democratico per difendere gli interessi nazionali" ha aggiunto
Humala.
L'ex colonnello della lista Unione per il Perù, che ha fatto il pieno di
voti al primo turno con il 30,72% (a sei punti di distanza dal
socialdemocratico Alan Garcia arrivato secondo), ha commentato la decisone
del vicino Evo Morales di nazionalizzare gli idrocarburi boliviani
confermando quanto aveva già annunciato più volte, anche se con meno
enfasi: nazionalizzerà anche lui le grandi risorse del sottosuolo
peruviano.
Il Perù è ricco di giacimenti di petrolio e di gas, molti dei quali ancora
inesplorati. L'Amazzonia peruviana, una delle foreste pluviali più ricche
di biodiversità del pianeta, che va dall'occidente dell' Amazzonia
brasiliana fino alla Cordigliera delle Ande, è in più punti occupata da
grandi trivelle alla ricerca di giacimenti sotterranei. 
-- 
visitate 
http://www.comunisti-italiani.it/frames/index.htm
5 per mille all'Associazione di amicizia Italia-Cuba cod.fis. 96233920584
questo articolo e` stato inviato via web dal servizio gratuito 
http://www.newsland.it/news
 segnala gli abusi ad 
ab...@newsland.it