%0 Journal Article
%T The Frustrated Nationalization of Hydrocarbons and the Plunder of Bolivia
%A Jeppe Krommes-Ravnsmed
%J Latin American Perspectives
%@ 1552-678X
%D 2019
%R 10.1177/0094582X18820294
%X Evo Morales came to power in Bolivia after the gas war and a subsequent rebellion that overthrew two presidents in 2003 and 2005. However, the promised nationalization of hydrocarbons remained on paper, and a new extractivist offensive was launched that deepened processes of accumulation by dispossession. Plunder, environmental devastation, and recolonization of indigenous territories have increased because of different factors that are dialectically interrelated: (1) the 2006 oil contracts, which allowed transnationals to retain a dominant position in the sector; (2) the challenge of finding new gas reserves to maintain the current export volume; (3) the country＊s substantial dependence on hydrocarbon revenues to maintain public expenditure levels, given that the productive matrix remains unchanged; and (4) the political degeneration of the Movimiento al Socialismo. However, there is no political and discursive coherence: the government conceals its policy behind a revolutionary discourse. Evo Morales lleg車 al poder en Bolivia despu谷s de la guerra del gas y la subsiguiente rebeli車n que derroc車 a dos presidentes en 2003 y 2005. Sin embargo, la prometida nacionalizaci車n de los hidrocarburos se mantuvo en el papel y se lanz車 una nueva ofensiva extractivista que profundiz車 los procesos de acumulaci車n por despojo. El saqueo, la devastaci車n ambiental y la recolonizaci車n de los territorios ind赤genas han aumentado debido a diferentes factores que est芍n dial谷cticamente interrelacionados: (1) los contratos petroleros de 2006, que permitieron a las transnacionales mantener una posici車n dominante en el sector; (2) el desaf赤o de encontrar nuevas reservas de gas para mantener el volumen de exportaci車n actual; (3) la dependencia sustancial del pa赤s en los ingresos por hidrocarburos para mantener los niveles de gasto p迆blico, dado que la matriz productiva permanece sin cambios; y (4) la degeneraci車n pol赤tica del Movimiento al Socialismo. Sin embargo, no hay coherencia pol赤tica y discursiva: el gobierno oculta su pol赤tica detr芍s de un discurso revolucionario
%K Bolivia
%K Hydrocarbons
%K Nationalization
%K Extractivism
%K Accumulation by dispossesion
%U https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/0094582X18820294