BOLIVIA: BOLIVIANS VOTE IN NATIONAL REFERENDUM TO DECIDE FUTURE OF COUNTRY'S VAST NATURAL GAS RESERVES

Record ID: 328701

  • Title: BOLIVIA: BOLIVIANS VOTE IN NATIONAL REFERENDUM TO DECIDE FUTURE OF COUNTRY'S VAST NATURAL GAS RESERVES
  • Date: 18th July 2004
  • Summary: (W6) LA PAZ, BOLIVIA (JULY 18, 2004) (REUTERS) 1. VARIOUS OF BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT CARLOS MESA ENTERING THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL OFFICES; OPENING THE VOTING WITH FLAG-RAISING CEREMONY (7 SHOTS) 0.21 2. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) BOLIVIAN PRESIDENT CARLOS MESA SAYING: "None of the problems that were announced [by the opposition] could impede the democracy of an entire nation. This is an achievement of a country, in conjunction with its men and women that believed and believe in the right to decide." 0.46 3. WS: SUPPORTERS IN THE OFFICES OF THE NATIONAL ELECTORAL COUNCIL 0.49 4. CAMERA CREWS FILMING 0.51 5. VARIOUS OF MESA VOTING 1.04 6. VARIOUS OF NEWSPAPERS (3 SHOTS) 1.12 7. VARIOUS OF PEOPLE VOTING (11 SHOTS) 1.54 8. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNIDENTIFIED BOLIVIAN VOTER SAYING: "It is our obligation [to vote] so that our country can advance with this referendum." 2.01 9. VARIOUS OF VOTING (4 SHOTS) 2.12 10. (SOUNDBITE) (Spanish) UNIDENTIFIED BOLIVIAN VOTER SAYING: "It is a civic duty - we all have to participate and it is important that we all are conscious that we have to be the protagonists of the state of this country." 2.22 11. VARIOUS OF VOTING (2 SHOTS) 2.29 12. VARIOUS OF VOTING TABLES AND ELECTORAL OFFICIALS (5 SHOTS) 2.46 13. VARIOUS: IDENTIFICATION DOCUMENTS; PEOPLE VOTING (5 SHOTS) 3.02 14. WS: EXTERIOR OF POLLING STATION 3.06 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved
  • Embargoed: 2nd August 2004 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: LA PAZ, BOLIVIA
  • Country: Bolivia
  • Reuters ID: LVAF4SLIMKFTJ07L36NFQGE64SNM
  • Story Text: Bolivians go to the polls to decide the future of
    the country's vast natural gas reserves.


    Bolivians voted on Sunday (July 18) in a national
    referendum that was to decide the future of the impoverish
    Andean country's vast natural gas reserves.

    Seen also as a political referendum on the
    nine-month-old government of President Carlos Mesa, the
    referendum asked Bolivians if they wanted more state
    control over the natural gas industry and if they wanted to
    export the valuable resource.

    Mesa opened the voting on Sunday morning.

    "None of the problems that were announced [by the
    opposition] could impede the democracy of an entire nation.

    This is an achievement of a country, in conjunction with
    its men and women that believed and believe in the right to
    decide," he said.

    Mesa's predecessor, President Gonzalo Sanchez de
    Lozada, was forced to quit in October last year after weeks
    of bloody protests against his plans to export gas through
    the landlocked nation's historical enemy, Chile.

    The referendum asked five questions. Parentheses have
    added by Reuters for further explanation.

    Indian groups have criticized the questions as
    excessively complicated. Many wanted a simple question over
    whether voters wanted to nationalise the energy industry.

    1. Do you agree with repealing Hydrocarbons Law 168capital Agartala.

    "People are less e natural gas industry) passed by Gonzalo Sanchez de
    Lozada?
    2. Do you agree with recovering as property of the
    Bolivian state all hydrocarbons at the mouth of the well?
    3. Do you agree with re-establishing state oil company
    YPFB, recovering as state property Bolivians' shares ruling
    Communist Party of India (Mait can participate in the
    productive chain of the hydrocarbon industry?
    4. Do you agree with the policies of President Carlohe Hindu
    nationalist B Jaresource to get a useful and sovereign outlet to the
    Pacific Ocean (through Chile)?

  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
  • Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2015. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
  • Usage Terms/Restrictions: None
Register