> -----Original Message----- > From: Perry [SMTP:perry@ofuzzy1.com] > Sent: Thursday, April 13, 2000 12:30 PM > To: BecWWW, Northame > Subject: corporate greed? > > Mr. Riley Bechtel, > > Is it true that your subsidy Aguas de Tunari doubled prices to peasants? > > If so, shame on you! > > I am no longer a stock holder of your firm.

["they" listen when the wallet gets hit] > > Truly disappointed, > > Perry DeFuzzy

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In response to your note about Cochabamba, we provide the following statement issued Friday, April 14, by International Water Ltd., a water development company owned by Bechtel Enterprises and Edison S.p.A. Edison, an affiliate of Group Montedison, is Italy's largest private energy services company. Aguas del Tunari, mentioned below, is the IWL-led consortium that negotiated the Cochabamba water concession. If you have further questions or comments, please contact IWL's London headquarters at (44-171) 766-5100. Alternatively, you may send e-mail to mail@iwltd.com

We are saddened by the violence that has occurred in Bolivia this past week. We are also dismayed by the fact that much of the blame is falsely centered on the government's plan to raise water rates in Cochabamba, when in fact, a number of other water, social and political issues are the root causes of this civil unrest. Several of these factors have all led to the tensions on display throughout the country:

* proposed water legislation (unrelated to the Aguas del Tunari concession) that requires farmers and others to obtain permits for water extraction

* unemployment and other economic difficulties facing Bolivian citizens

* a government crackdown on coca-leaf production

* and police protests over salaries.

We have recently been involved in urgent discussions with local leaders to determine an appropriate resolution to the water shortage problems facing the Cochabamba region. Currently more than 40% of the region's citizens have no direct access to water resources. We were invited by the government to participate in a privatization program to develop long-term solutions to provide safe and affordable water and wastewater services. During the past several months we have been part of a number of meetings with government and community leaders to identify acceptable options to ease the transition from public to private management. We remained flexible in our approach and we are therefore extremely disappointed that the government has now terminated our contract without valid reasons. Nonetheless we hope that arrangements will now be put in place to ensure that safe water and wastewater services can once again provided to the people of Cochabamba without further disruption.

International Water

14 April

-- Perry DeFuzzy (perry@ofuzzy1.com), April 14, 2000

Answers

sorry about the formatting.

this as a followup to:

http://www.greenspun.com/bboard/q-and-a-fetch-msg.tcl?msg_id=002xtd

-- (perry@ofuzzy1.com), April 14, 2000.