First People's Workshop in Defense of Water Water Privatization in Latin America By Carmelo Ruiz Marrero | October 18, 2005
Americas Program, International Relations Center (IRC) americas.irc-online.org
The drive to privatize water distribution and resources is gaining steam in Latin America. Although transnational water companies have suffered setbacks in places like Puerto Rico, Bolivia, and Uruguay, they continue with plans to appropriate the region's hydrological resources—rivers, aquifers, wells, and aqueduct systems. While “privatization” has become a loaded term in the water business, companies prefer a softer discourse, employing concepts such as “decentralization,” “civil society participation,” and “sustainable development.”