This is the press release from the first picket of the hunger strike that was set up in support of the compañeros of FEJUVE of the city of El Alto, who for eight days now are demanding cancellation of the contract with the multinational Aguas del Illimani and the approval of a law of Nationalization of Hydrocarbons, summons to a Popular Constituent Assembly, and denying any Free Trade Agreement. Today began the second picket of hunger strike with workers from SEMAPA, Water Works of Cochabamba and petroleum workers. Tomorrow will mark the beginning of another picket of hunger strike with participation of farm workers, independent citizens, and in this manner the method will radicalize in stages:

COMMUNIQUE from the Hunger Strike in Cochabamba
Coordinadora del Agua y la Vida [Coordinator of Water & Life] (02/28/2005 5:52pm)

Here follows the communique from those compañeros who started the first picket of hunger strike:

THE PEOPLE STANDING FOR RECUPERATION OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES, THE CONSTITUENT ASSEMBLY, & NO TO THE FREE TRADE AGREEMENT (TLC)

Newly, the simple and working people, we who do not live off the work of others, who do not have jobs within the state apparatus.
We who have been excluded from and ignored regarding the decisions which have been made up to now and which have served to make us yet poorer.
We who are the trustees and heirs of our waters, our hydrocarbons, our territories, and our dignity, inherited from our parents and grandparents.
We who have the obligation to recuperate all of that which was given over by anti-national and sell-out governments to (multinational corporations), are newly prepared to demonstrate just as we did in April and September of 2000, in February and October of 2003, and in January of this year, that it is possible to overcome, that it is possible to recuperate our voice and based on our organization and mobilization we can decide over that which affects us.
 We simple working people from the city and from the country, women, young people, men, children, and old people, we continue stating ENOUGH, to the manipulations of political parties, of governors, of multinational petroleum companies, of the World Bank of the (BID of the IMF), and of all those whose pretence is to continue their monopoly of the last word and decisions and who do not wish to lose those privileges which they have acquired at the cost of the people's hunger.

For all these reasons today we mobilize and take to the streets and roads to demand that the governors and politicians listen to the people, that they take into account our opinion and our proposals, our demands which are the following:

1.    OUT WITH AGUAS DEL ILLIMANI, DEFENSE OF THE SOCIAL MANAGEMENT OF THE WATER.
2.    A LAW OF HYDROCARBONS WHICH PROVIDES FOR 50% OF ROYALTIES AT MINIMUM.
3.    APPROVAL OF THE LAW OF SUMMONS TO CONSTIUENT ASSEMBLY PROPOSED BY SOCIAL ORGANISATIONS.
4.    NO TO THE FREETRADE AGREEMENT WHICH CONDEMNS TO POVERTY MILLIONS OF MEN AND WOMEN OF OUR COUNTRY.

These demands come along with the commencement of the set up of pickets of hunger strikes all over the country, mobilizations, and other methods which will culminate, this week, with a mobilization on Friday, March 4th, at 9am.

Cochabamba, March 1, 2005

Long live the Hunger Strike of the FEJUVE de El Alto- OUT Aguas del Illimani
Long live the mobilization of the people of CAMIRI
For a law of Nationalization of Hydrocarbons
All the people mobilize your selves, for the present and future of our Children

(signed)
Oscar Olivera        Omar Fernandez        Rene Crespo
        Hernan Bustamante        Fidel Lopez