Ongoing political wranglings with Bolivia
So I don't want to harp on this Bolivia thing, but an update:
-As I had speculated, Petrobras has proclaimed that they will not invest further in Bolivia. This includes projects that were underway, such as an expansion of the gas pipeline from Bolivia to Brazil. They have also stated that they will not pay the increased prices for gas. I hate predictions, but I suspect that this is a bargaining chip that Petrobras will use in renegotiating their contract. They are also threatening to take Bolivia to court. Bolivia has accused Petrobras of "blackmail."
-Chávez. It has been noted that he is trying to play two sides: on one hand, he is touting an alternative hemispheric organization that would exclude the U.S. while leading to greater integration of the Latin American economies. On the other hand, he is congratulating Morales for his bravery.
-"Are we the Yankees?" This is the question asked today by Eliane Cantanhêdes in the Folha Online. She noted very much the quandary that I noted on Tuesday: the fact that Lula approved of Morales; the sector of the government (including the Ministry of Mines) that wants to break completely with the Bolivians; and then there is the business sector in Brazil that is just plain freaked out by the power that Morales wields. She closes by noting:
-Long live alcohol, down with natural gas. There had been a program to switch gasoline-fueled cars to natural gas-fueled. For R$3000 (US$1500) you could convert your car; to date, over 1/3 of the 35,000 taxis in São Paulo had done just that. No longer. No one is taking their car in to do the switch. It's a good time to be in the sugar industry.
-As I had speculated, Petrobras has proclaimed that they will not invest further in Bolivia. This includes projects that were underway, such as an expansion of the gas pipeline from Bolivia to Brazil. They have also stated that they will not pay the increased prices for gas. I hate predictions, but I suspect that this is a bargaining chip that Petrobras will use in renegotiating their contract. They are also threatening to take Bolivia to court. Bolivia has accused Petrobras of "blackmail."
-Chávez. It has been noted that he is trying to play two sides: on one hand, he is touting an alternative hemispheric organization that would exclude the U.S. while leading to greater integration of the Latin American economies. On the other hand, he is congratulating Morales for his bravery.
-"Are we the Yankees?" This is the question asked today by Eliane Cantanhêdes in the Folha Online. She noted very much the quandary that I noted on Tuesday: the fact that Lula approved of Morales; the sector of the government (including the Ministry of Mines) that wants to break completely with the Bolivians; and then there is the business sector in Brazil that is just plain freaked out by the power that Morales wields. She closes by noting:
Lula thought himself the great regional leader, but now he's seeing Brazil turned into the victim of one of these "phenomena." In the 1960s, we screamed, "Go home, Yankees," at the Americans. Today, and in spite of a government that was elected as "leftist", are we the Yankees?"
-Long live alcohol, down with natural gas. There had been a program to switch gasoline-fueled cars to natural gas-fueled. For R$3000 (US$1500) you could convert your car; to date, over 1/3 of the 35,000 taxis in São Paulo had done just that. No longer. No one is taking their car in to do the switch. It's a good time to be in the sugar industry.
posted by Ryan at 12:17 PM
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