Bolivia: Transport Fares Will Not Change

La Paz, Jan 11 (Prensa Latina) The Bolivian government reaffirmed on Tuesday that public transportation fares would not change, and asked local governments to ensure enforcement of this decision, to preserve the economy of the people.

Bolivian Riders Face Fare Hike Despite Scrapping of Fuel Increase

LA PAZ – The Bolivian public transport drivers’ unions decided to raise the fares on public transportation between 22 and 24 percent despite the fact that President Evo Morales’s administration cancelled the recent hike in the cost of liquid fuels, the press reported.

Bolivian Government Ratifies Respect for Private Property

La Paz, Nov 2 (Prensa Latina) Bolivian President Evo Morales confirmed his government”s respect for private property lawfully acquired and denied an alleged draft legislation to limit property rights, according to television news today.

  Rather, the plurinational State plans to finance housing for poor people and coordinate policies to ensure respect for personal property and real state, in keeping with the Constitution of 2009, he said.

During a TV interview broadcast by Fides TV, Morales said that he even asked the Minister of Public Works, Walter Delgadillo, to build houses for people who do not have.

On the other hand, the Bolivian Government is considering raising wages in public administration, covering between 180 thousand and 250 thousand jobs that are paid by the Treasury.

When he became President in 2006, Morales cut his own salary as a prelude to an austerity policy limiting payments to 15 thousand bolivars, or about two thousand dollars.

But now, he admitted, the proposed increase responds to a policy to retain a mass of professionals and technicians working for the State, who could resign in search of better earnings in the private sector.

Morales, who encouraged the law against public corruption and did not hesitate to imprison his collaborator Santos Ramirez, who caused costly damages to a state enterprise, reiterated that he will never be charged with profiting from public funds.

Source: Prensa Latina

Bolivia, Iran seek closer military ties

LA PAZ, Bolivia, Nov. 1 (UPI) — Bolivia has expressed interest in possibly purchasing Iranian-made military planes, helicopters for training purposes.

According to Bolivian Finance Minister Luis Arce, his government is considering Iran’s Fajr-3, S-68 and 52-seat Iran-140 aircraft along with four-seat helicopters, Radio Patria Nueva reported Monday.

Last week Bolivian President Evo Morales and Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad signed a $287 million credit line for Bolivia and five memorandums of understanding, mainly on industrial cooperation and technology transfer.

Arce told journalists: “I think that quickly implementing these is critical to receive the benefits of these agreements that really will provide a unique framework for the nation to join in (Iran’s) production and technological innovation in the country. In the near future Bolivian missions and business delegations are expected to travel to Iran to begin the implementation of these projects.”

Arce added that his government hopes for Iran’s cooperation in eventually constructing a nuclear power plant for peaceful purposes and Iranian support in maintaining Bolivian air force fighters.

Source: UPI

Bolivia denies plan for uranium exploitation with Iran

The Bolivian government on Sunday denied having a strategic alliance with Iran to explore and exploit uranium in Bolivia.

Bolivian Economy Minister Luis Arce dismissed media reports that Bolivia had launched joint actions with Iran to exploit uranium.

“The uranium issue is not on the agenda, neither in any agreements. We have not decided on anything about uranium and still we do not have conditions to do it. We do not have any plan for this issue,” Arce said.

Arce went on to say that although his country has mining agreements with Iran, they do not have anything to do with uranium.

He regretted that some politicians from the opposition and media reports tried to describe the Bolivian-Iranian ties as a threat to world peace.

Source:Xinhua

Bolivia to buy Iranian aircraft

Bolivia will purchase Iranian-made airplanes and helicopters for training of its armed forces, local media reported on Sunday.

“The Bolivian government has expressed its interest in purchasing some planes and helicopters made in Iran, which are basically for training,” Bolivian Economy Minister Luis Arce was quoted as saying.

Iranian technicians will be in charge of the maintenance of the aircraft in Bolivia.

Arce said the purchase deal was reached when Bolivian President Evo Morales visited Iran last week, where he met with his Iranian counterpart Mahmoud Ahmadinejad.

Morales’ visit was aimed at strengthening his country’s strategic alliance with Iran and signing five Memorandums of Understanding.

Source:Xinhua

 

1 Nov 2010 – Bolivia and the United Nations Climate Change Negotiations

The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) negotiations
 
The UNFCCC negotiations started in 1992 to find ways to deal with global warming. Since then there has been progress with the creation of the 1997 Kyoto Protocol which is the only legally binding agreement that commits the majority of richer nations to reduce their emissions. The Protocol stipulates a reduction by 5% of emissions compared to 1990 levels by the year 2012. Crucially, the USA did not sign. In recent years the pressure has been increasing on the UNFCCC negotiations to reach a new legally binding global agreement to be in place from 2012. This was most visible at the notorious Copenhagen meeting in December 2009.

Bolivia hopes for positive results at UN climate conference in Mexico

Bolivian President Evo Morales expressed his wish here on Sunday that the upcoming United Nations climate change conference in Cancun, Mexico, could generate positive results.

“Cancun must give a hope and life message for the humankind. We cannot have failures again, because it could be too late to save the humankind,” Morales said.

“Cancun should not just meet the interests of the developed countries, but those of the mankind,” Morales said, stressing that the industrialized countries must take measures to save the planet.

The dilemma of global warming is a worldwide problem which will affect the planet’s future, he was quoted as saying by local media.

He noted that the industrialized countries developed their economies without thinking about the environment, so it is the time to save the planet.

Morales also said that it is necessary to approve policies to defend the humankind and the Earth during the Cancun conference.

The 16th Conference of the Parties to the United Nations Framework Climate Change Convention will be held in Cancun from Nov. 29 to Dec. 5. Representatives from some 190 countries and regions are expected to seek an agreement at the UN-sponsored gathering to tackle global climate change.

Source:Xinhua

Peru Port City to Host Bolivian Naval Training Center

LA PAZ – Peru will cede to Bolivia 3,000 square meters (about 32,700 square feet) of territory in the Pacific port of Ilo for the construction of an annex for the Bolivian naval academy, the official ABI news agency reported on Monday.

ABI cited the Peruvian ambassador in La Paz, Manuel Rodriguez Cuadros, as saying that next Sunday in Ilo there will be a ceremony to lay the first stone of the building.

The ceding of territory comes in response to the protocol signed Oct. 19 in the port city by the presidents of Bolivia and Peru – Evo Morales and Alan Garcia, respectively – broadening a bilateral accord signed in 1992.

Bolivia lost its Pacific coastline to Chile in a 19th-century war that pitted La Paz and Lima against Santiago.

Chile has repeatedly refused Bolivian demands for a sovereign outlet to the Pacific.

The Bolivian naval annex in Ilo will house some 250 troops, including students, instructors and support personnel, and the protocol also authorizes vessels of the Bolivian navy to navigate in the area for cooperative and training purposes.

In addition, Peru renewed for 99 years Bolivia’s right to use the port facilities and free transit through Ilo for Bolivian exports and opened up the possibility of setting up industries in the port’s Free Zone. EFE

Source: EFE

Iran to help Bolivia build peaceful nuclear power plant

LA PAZ (Xinhua) — Bolivian President Evo Morales said on Friday that Bolivia and Iran will work together to build a nuclear power plant in Bolivia.

Bolivia and Iran “”have expressed interest in developing cooperation in the peaceful use of nuclear energy,”” Morales, who newly returned from a visit to Tehran, told a press conference in Cochabamba, 383 km from Bolivia’s capital, La Paz.
Iran has offered to set up a join venture with Bolivia on lithium battery and nuclear electricity production, Morals told the press conference.

Bolivia has the right to develop peaceful use of nuclear energy, and no one has the right to interfere, he added.

Source: Xinhua