November 20, 2003

LA PAZ, Bolivia/GENEVA - The recent change of leadership in Bolivia does not provide a solution for the economic, social and political difficulties that ordinary people in the Latin American country continue to experience. "The problems of the country go much deeper," Rev. Humberto Ramos Salazar, president of the Bolivian Evangelical Lutheran Church (IELB), said in an interview with Lutheran World Information.

In mid-October President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada resigned following weeks of demonstrations over a controversial government plan to export the country's natural gas. "Neither Sanchez's departure nor his succession by Carlos Mesa provide a solution for Bolivians," said Ramos.

The IELB bishop explained the church's position on the country's natural resources. He pointed out that the parliament has not reached consensus or established a methodology on the so-called "people's consultation" proposed by the new government to discuss the future of Bolivia's natural resources. "If such consultation takes place," said Ramos, the IELB's participation will include awareness raising in the mass media about the use of natural resources. The church will also play an active role in bringing public attention to a joint manifesto by Roman Catholics, Anglicans, Methodists and Lutherans, also relating to this issue. Additional participation will be through civil society including trade unions and community-based groups in which the church's members including pastors are active. "As the IELB, we shall influence decisions from the local level with humility, simplicity and a firm conviction that natural resources are a God-given gift to humanity," he stressed.

Through one of its programs, the IELB is making great efforts to enable the Andean communities to gain access to water. Bishop Ramos pointed out that the church has an obligation to ensure that people benefit from what rightfully belongs to them. He remarked that the government has entrusted the administration of many resources to transnational companies, some of which are imposing exorbitant pricing. "The privatization of natural resources such as water is an attack on the people. Acts like these are unacceptable and the IELB condemns them."

Ramos posed pertinent questions concerning his country's natural gas exports mainly to Argentina and Brazil. Former President Lozada's government sought to sell natural gas to the United States and Mexico and was carrying out feasibility studies to determine whether the gas should be exported via Chilean or Peruvian ports. The IELB leader affirmed that Bolivia's natural gas reserves are considerable for the country of 8 million people, and thus justify exports, but there are still important issues to be considered.

He said he was convinced that the people's needs should take first priority. "Bolivia should not export untreated natural gas, it should be refined to allow maximum benefits from all of its by-products. The sale policies should be clear and fair. Allocating only 17 percent to the country means Bolivia is giving away its natural resources while the transnational companies benefit from 83 percent," Ramos said of the current situation. He expressed concern about illicit dealings and nepotism in the process of selecting gas suppliers. Another important point is the use of income from the gas sales. "Will these resources be devoted to basic services like education, health and infrastructure such as roads, or are all the funds used to support the central government structure?"

According to the Latin American and Caribbean news agency, alc, Chile stripped Bolivia of its access to the Pacific Ocean in the War of the Pacific (1879-1883). As a result, the population demanded that the Bolivian government should not export gas via Chile but this request was not met. Later, union, civil and political organizations urged the government to not sell gas to the United States of America, an appeal that was also ignored.

During the mass protests last October, the IELB issued a statement calling on political and union leaders, and civilians "to put aside partisan positions and think of the country, to think of all Bolivians [and] bring peace to all their homes."

The 18,000-member IELB joined the LWF in 1975.

Lutheran World Information