Below we publish a translation of the May 1 speech by Bolivian President Evo Morales announcing the nationalisation of that country’s hydro-carbon resources. This translation is based on the Spanish-language text provided on the Bolivian Information Agency website.
Thank you very much. From San Alberto, in the Bolivian province of El Chaco in the department of Tarija, we express to Bolivia and to the whole world the struggles of our peoples — of the indigenous peoples of our territory, the struggles of our ancestors like Tupac Katari and Tupac Amaru, like Bartolina Sisa and many other leaders.
Like our grandparents who went to the Chaco War to defend natural resources; the participation of the Armed Forces in 1937 and 1969, together with Marcelo Quiroga Santa Cruz, in the nationalisation of our natural resources; to the recent struggles in the city of El Alto, in Chapare, in the mining centres, in the urban centres — of peasants, of indigenous people, of social movements, of intellectuals committed to their country, of the army, of all Bolivian patriots that love their country.
We have reached this historic day, an important day to realise the aspirations of the Bolivian people, which is the nationalisation of natural resources and hydrocarbons.
From this moment, from today, all hydrocarbons in the national territory are nationalised. It is the obligation, not only of the national government, but of all living forces of the country — of all local authorities, municipalities, departmental authorities, and of everyone — to assume the defence and recuperation of a natural resource.
If we have reached where we are as president, ministers and members of Parliament — who come mostly from the indigenous people — we want to tell you that we have not come for retaliation. We come here for the hopes of the Bolivian people and for the ownership of the hydrocarbons, of the natural gas, which passes at this moment into the hands of the Bolivian state, under the control of the Bolivian people.
This is the solution to the economic and social problems of our country. Once recuperated, this natural resource will generate work.
The looting of natural resources by the international oil companies, by the transnationals, has come to an end. And therefore we want to share the joy of this historic nationalisation date. Of a historic year not only of nationalisation of hydrocarbons, but of nationalisation of the state.
I want to say to the Bolivian people that when we reached the Palace on 22 January, we found a state that was torn to pieces, a privatised state. With the new Law on the Organisation of Executive Power we began to nationalise the state and, making use of this supreme decree, we are nationalising the hydrocarbons.
We are going to continue with this process of change, with the Constituent Assembly awaiting us. We’ve got many responsibilities and many tasks. I want to express my gratitude to the Cabinet, to the working groups that advise this government of change, of deep transformation, changing the economic model. Here the Law of Capitalisation has come to an end for the Bolivian people — the way our wealth and our resources have been auctioned off is finished. And therefore I want to express my enormous satisfaction with the work we are doing.
Briefly, I want to tell you that last night I worked with the hydrocarbons team until one in the morning, and with the Cabinet until five in the morning at the Palace, and we have arrived here to transfer our greetings to the compañeros of the Bolivian Chaco, of the municipality of Carapari in the department of Tarija, to tell you that we are delivering what we aimed to — that we are not a government of promises. What we pledged — and what the Bolivian people demand — we assume and we deliver.
I also want to express my gratitude to the military high command for sharing and joining this process of change. Even if previous governments have used the army to serve the trans-nationals, now the armed forces are joining [this process] for the country, for the nation, for the homeland and therefore they are present at this time of nationalisation. Equally, the national police force is present here, and with us its high command shares and gives security to the nationalisation process.
To the people of Bolivia, on this historic 1st of May, a popular government, an indigenous government, above all a government that comes from so many indigenous struggles over more than 500 years — what could we do? Besides addressing hiring and salary issues, the best gift for rural and urban workers, for professionals and intellectuals that work in our country, the best gift to the workers, is the nationalisation of our natural resources, the hydrocarbons.
From this moment, in coordination with the Armed Forces of Bolivia, we want to demand that this institution defend its sovereignty, its dignity, and the overall integrity of the national territory. We want to demand from this place, at this moment, that it take all the oil wells in the whole of Bolivia with battalions of engineers, organised by the Ministry of Hydrocarbons, together with the president of Yacimentos Petroliferos Fiscales Bolivianos [a state oil company].
We want to call on patriots loyal to their nation, to their land, to mobilise against all attempts at sabotage by some companies. We want to ask the compañero workers of Petrobras [the Brazilian oil company] who are present here to be loyal to the homeland and to respect, with discipline, this legal framework, this Supreme Decree, so that all these resources come back into the hands of the Bolivian people. If skilled oil company workers join this change, they are welcome; if not, the people will judge them.
We are going to continue complying with our mandate, our 10-point proposal. We’ve already met five of the points in 100 days of government. It is a responsible government — that’s why we reached this historic day of nationalisation. I want you to help me say: long live the nationalisation of hydrocarbons. Long live the Bolivian people. Thank you very much.