Cochabamba tells the story of the Water War, the first great victory against corporate globalization in Latin
America. Oscar Olivera was at the center of the grassroots movement that brought thousands of ordinary working
people to the streets of Cochabama, Bolivia. The spokesperson for the Coordinadora, Olivera conveys the ideas and
emotions of a firsthand participant in the triumphant struggle that not only regained control of the water, but
also kicked out the transnational corporation that had privatized it.
Olivera reflects on themes that emerged as a result of the war over water: the fear and isolation that Cochabambinos
and Cochabambinas overcame through a spirit of solidarity; the new practices of popular democracy realized during
the struggle; the challenges of operating the city's water service in a community-based manner; and the impact
of the Water War on subsequent struggles.
Table of Contents
Water democracy
About this book
Of prefaces, spaces, and written voices
The water war
The Coordinadora : one year after the water war
The "multitude"
Directing SEMAPA : an interview with Luis Sanchez-Gomez
SEMAPA : globalizing solidarity
The new world of labor
A political thesis
For a constituent assembly : creating public spaces
Toward a national and continental rebellion
Petroleum and natural gas : reconquering our collective patrimony
The legacy of the Coordinadora
The significance of the gas war
Afterword : they can't privatize our dreams
