Unit 3 Ch 5 : Popular Struggles and Movements — Social Studies STD 10 — Question

The World Bank pressurized the government to give up its control of municipal water supply. The government sold these rights to a Multinational company for the city of cocha bamba. The company immediately increased the price of water by four times. This led to a spontaneous popular protest. The contract with the MNC was cancelled and water supply was restored to the municipality at old rates. This came to be known as Bolivia’s water war. In January 2000 a new alliance of labour, human rights and community leaders joined a four day political strike in the city. The government agreed vto negotiate and the strike was called off. Nothing happened and so they protested again though they were brutally suppressed. Another strike took place in april and the government imposed the martial law. The power of the people forced the officials of the MNC to flee the city and made the government to concede to all the demands of the protestors.