Uncommon man makes the case for the common good

Clad in blue jeans, an olive-green overcoat and a cloth cap, Olivera – a mechanic by trade – did not cast an imposing figure in the Jane Addams School classroom. A small, middle-aged man, he spoke softly in Spanish and paused often, allowing translation into English.

But what Olivera\’s story lacked in pizzazz, it made up for with punch. His account of organizing Bolivians in opposition to powerful corporate and governmental interests drew disbelief, outrage and intense interest.

More, Olivera\’s story yielded important lessons about the effect globalization has on so-called developing countries, their cultures and their natural environments; about the efforts of South Americans to take greater control of their continent\’s economic future; and about the role people in the U.S. play in that process.

Asking members of the class to direct their eyes to the south, Olivera used the story of a transnational corporation\’s attempt to privatize his country\’s water supply to build support for the related efforts Latin Americans are making today to recover "what it is that makes our nations what they are and that is currently in the hands of few."

The Cochabamba uprising
Seven years ago, the World Bank – a non-governmental organization that finances economic development  – and the Bolivian government began privatizing the nation\’s water market.

As part of that process, the multinational engineering firm Bechtel gained a contract to manage the local water supply in Cochabamba, Bolivia\’s third-largest city.

Privatization had serious implications on the daily lives of people in and around Cochabamba. Water prices increased – in some cases to 20 percent of a family\’s income. Small cooperatives, formed decades ago to meet the food and water needs of local communities, fell apart. Lakes, rivers and streams became private property. Collecting rainwater became illegal.

The changes were more than economic, according to Olivera. They were cultural, and they were severe.

"For us, water is a generous gift from Mother Earth that was given to us so we can continue life," Olivera told the class. "Since it is a gift to all, then water is all of ours – and no one\’s."

That fundamental, cultural concept became a rallying cry as Olivera and others organized resistance to Bechtel, the World Bank and Hugo Banzer, the country\’s president at the time.

Although about 500,000 people joined the movement, government officials defended the contract with Bechtel, saying it was necessary to protect the country\’s image among international investors.

Protesters responded by taking to the streets of Cochabamba, and in turn, the government declared martial law. Police killed five activists and injured hundreds more before officials agreed to annul the contract with Bechtel.

"We were able to take back the decision-making process in the country," Olivera said of the hard-fought victory.

Oscar Olivera (center) conversed with a diverse group at Humboldt High School Monday night. St. Paul Union Advocate photo

Larger implications
After giving his account of the events in Cochabamba, Olivera put them into the context of what he called two larger struggles afoot in South America – struggles reflected in the results of recent elections in countries like Ecuador, Bolivia and Venezuela, to name a few.

The first, Olivera said, is the struggle of South Americans to reclaim their land and its value: "Much of the land in Bolivia and South America is occupied by transnational corporations who seek to use and sell our oil, water and other elements of our biodiversity."

The second struggle is political. "Common people must be able to participate in a participatory democracy where corporations and government figures do not have complete control of the decision-making power."

Both struggles depend in part on international support, which is, of course, why Olivera was in St. Paul. Latin America is not the only place where globalization and the rise of corporate power threaten to put resources in the hands of a select few.

"If there is not a struggle taking place here also, it will make our struggle in the south more difficult," Olivera said.

Michael Moore edits The St. Paul Union Advocate, the official publication of the St. Paul Trades & Labor Assembly. Visit the Assembly website at www.stpaulunions.org