I've entered the beast
Cut for those who can't handle the truth
OK, so I've talked about my internship before, and I guess a bit of frustration, here's a more deliberate look at things.......
1- We're somewhat rushed to write reports. I'm used to deadlines in classes, but if they want me to write on the crazy shit going on in bolivia, as a case study, they better give me the time to do it. which leads to my second complaint....
2- the research center is funded by the department of Energy, and this report is meant for some policy maker guy, who before reading whatever it is that I write will be wined and dined by petroleum lobbyists, international investment bankers...who could give three shits about the problems facing the average bolivian. In a country with rich resources of natural gas, there's something around 70% of the population that doesn't have electricity and another tragically high percentage who don't have access to running water.
but what do poor people matter when there's money to be had.
Bolivia's gone through 3 presidents in as many years, its much more than gas that's got those cocaleros pissed off, coca eradication- which is the only real lucrative agricultural product there, insane corruption, the gas was the proverbial last straw... Spaniards took the silver, brits took tin and copper, now transnationals wanna take the gas. Bolivia's cut from the gas extraction would have been $40 million to $70 million depending on prices. Which is a fucking pitance compared to the initial investment ($1.6 billion) and counts for an estimates 16-18 % of revenue generated from gas sales.
Low revenue, plus a fucked up apartheid style government, small wonder those crazy quechuas and aymaras wanna fuck the system. NOTHING would make it down to the average chump. "we wan't to install a fair government that represents accurately the country. Until then it would be wrong to make agreements regarding the gas." I agree a thousand times over.
now, i took a few minutes to browse through previous publications from the center...in regards to bolivia, its basically saying that its a terrible thing to have so much instability (which it is) and that its scares off foreign investment (which it has). the conclusions are basically, "it won't happen as long as there's instability" [read: leftists/populists etc.]. That we're funded by DoE- which means Petrol firms- everythings making sense....
However, hardlines like those that Transnational Petrol firms have and the opposite extreme of Evo Morales and MAS can't be held.
in the end an agreement almost HAS to be reached. Bolivia is desperately poor, and Gas extraction is probably the only thing they've got going for them. Petrol firms will have to settle on a cut in profits, however with demand set to rise sharply in Brasil and Argentina, an agreement is a matter of time.
Frustrating things are rumors of chavez helping out Morales... I worry about Chavez 'cause he's a punk. But I think that Lula and Kitchner would have more influence since they represent much more- economically and practically- to Bolivia than a Bolivarian wanna-be. So the chavez claim smells like some real caca.
So, i'm going to end up writing a paper which would support patience and working with whom-ever wins bolivia's december elections, to which whoever in the DoE ends up reading is likely to dismiss as some commie bullshit.
I know this because I've had guarded conversations with my boss and others here. its frustrating because its all a language thing- if could write what they wanna hear- "bolivia needs to remove barriers to Foreign Investment so that natural gas production (not extraction, exploitation, PRODUCTION) can proceed. Gas production will benefit Bolivia with much needed revenue to pay down external debt as well as implement much needed housing, educational and infrastructural reforms"
But that report won't be written by me.
EDIT:
Bolivian Foreign Minister at a meeting of the OAS. During a Speech by US undersecretary of state for the Western Hemisphere. This is how i feel too buddy.
Interview tomorrow.
OK, so I've talked about my internship before, and I guess a bit of frustration, here's a more deliberate look at things.......
1- We're somewhat rushed to write reports. I'm used to deadlines in classes, but if they want me to write on the crazy shit going on in bolivia, as a case study, they better give me the time to do it. which leads to my second complaint....
2- the research center is funded by the department of Energy, and this report is meant for some policy maker guy, who before reading whatever it is that I write will be wined and dined by petroleum lobbyists, international investment bankers...who could give three shits about the problems facing the average bolivian. In a country with rich resources of natural gas, there's something around 70% of the population that doesn't have electricity and another tragically high percentage who don't have access to running water.
but what do poor people matter when there's money to be had.
Bolivia's gone through 3 presidents in as many years, its much more than gas that's got those cocaleros pissed off, coca eradication- which is the only real lucrative agricultural product there, insane corruption, the gas was the proverbial last straw... Spaniards took the silver, brits took tin and copper, now transnationals wanna take the gas. Bolivia's cut from the gas extraction would have been $40 million to $70 million depending on prices. Which is a fucking pitance compared to the initial investment ($1.6 billion) and counts for an estimates 16-18 % of revenue generated from gas sales.
Low revenue, plus a fucked up apartheid style government, small wonder those crazy quechuas and aymaras wanna fuck the system. NOTHING would make it down to the average chump. "we wan't to install a fair government that represents accurately the country. Until then it would be wrong to make agreements regarding the gas." I agree a thousand times over.
now, i took a few minutes to browse through previous publications from the center...in regards to bolivia, its basically saying that its a terrible thing to have so much instability (which it is) and that its scares off foreign investment (which it has). the conclusions are basically, "it won't happen as long as there's instability" [read: leftists/populists etc.]. That we're funded by DoE- which means Petrol firms- everythings making sense....
However, hardlines like those that Transnational Petrol firms have and the opposite extreme of Evo Morales and MAS can't be held.
in the end an agreement almost HAS to be reached. Bolivia is desperately poor, and Gas extraction is probably the only thing they've got going for them. Petrol firms will have to settle on a cut in profits, however with demand set to rise sharply in Brasil and Argentina, an agreement is a matter of time.
Frustrating things are rumors of chavez helping out Morales... I worry about Chavez 'cause he's a punk. But I think that Lula and Kitchner would have more influence since they represent much more- economically and practically- to Bolivia than a Bolivarian wanna-be. So the chavez claim smells like some real caca.
So, i'm going to end up writing a paper which would support patience and working with whom-ever wins bolivia's december elections, to which whoever in the DoE ends up reading is likely to dismiss as some commie bullshit.
I know this because I've had guarded conversations with my boss and others here. its frustrating because its all a language thing- if could write what they wanna hear- "bolivia needs to remove barriers to Foreign Investment so that natural gas production (not extraction, exploitation, PRODUCTION) can proceed. Gas production will benefit Bolivia with much needed revenue to pay down external debt as well as implement much needed housing, educational and infrastructural reforms"
But that report won't be written by me.
EDIT:
Bolivian Foreign Minister at a meeting of the OAS. During a Speech by US undersecretary of state for the Western Hemisphere. This is how i feel too buddy.
Interview tomorrow.