The threat of COVID-19 in Madidi National Park - by Melissa M. Garcia

COVID-19 infections have spread throughout the world at an alarming rate and reports indicate that the novel coronavirus may even reach the most remote areas of the globe. While one might think that individuals living in these distant communities are protected from the virus by their geographic isolation, research indicates that this protection is merely superficial. Instead, indigenous communities are left especially vulnerable during public health crises, such as COVID-19, which only further exacerbate the inequalities endured by these populations. In the United States, several Native American communities report disproportionate high infection and mortality rates with COVID-19. Data indicates that the Navajo Nation surpassed New York State for the highest COVID-19 infection rate in the U.S.

Reports demonstrate a similar story is unfolding in Latin America’s indigenous communities. The Pan American Health Organization released a statement earlier last month announcing that Latin America is now the epicenter of the outbreak. In the Brazilian Amazon, the number of deaths from COVID-19 in their indigenous communities have risen to a total of 262 as of June 9th. As the situation escalates in Latin America, there is increasing concern for the more than 46 indigenous communities living in Madidi National Park as more than 23,000 infections and 740 deaths have been reported in Bolivia.

The COVID-19 pandemic is especially concerning to the health of the indigenous populations of Madidi National Park as these communities are geographically isolated and inherently distant from access to healthcare facilities. Additionally, there is a significant lack of healthcare providers and health insurance in these communities and traveling to regional hospitals or clinics often requires reliance on public transportation posing an additional risk of viral transmission. In the event that the pandemic reaches these remote villages, it is difficult to contain the spread given that many of these communities have minimal access to clean water, soap, personal protective equipment, and public sanitation. Furthermore, indigenous populations have high rates of pre-existing health conditions such as diabetes and hypertension that place indigenous people at higher risk of complications, and death from COVID-19.

In response to the looming threat of the pandemic, these communities are relying on traditional medicine and the knowledge from their community elders on how to treat and prevent illness/disease as well as general health maintenance. However, community elders are also the most vulnerable to infection, meaning that the pandemic could have severe cultural repercussions. Indigenous elders have a vital role in keeping and passing on their traditional knowledge, language and cultural practices within their communities. Death of an elder can be equated to losing a living library. 

Until now, no specific guidelines have been established in response to the pandemic for these indigenous communities. In light of this, a team of anthropologists, doctors, and tribal leaders recently developed a protocol as part of the Tsimane Health and Life History Project (THLHP), that outlines strategies to protect the Tsimane indigenous communities living in the Beni Department, against the COVID-19 pandemic. Efforts such as these highlight the fact that these indigenous communities have taken it upon themselves to develop strategies to protect themselves from COVID-19 in the absence of support from their state institutions. In the recently published Lancet article describing the protocol, the researchers emphasized the importance of including the indigenous communities in the discussions for mitigation strategies in response to the pandemic in order to prevent devastation in the indigenous populations.

The indigenous peoples of the Bolivian lowlands have spoken out and voiced concerns that their communities should not be discriminated against or overlooked, especially in the distribution of federal and international aid for Bolivian citizens. In a recent webinar from Colectivo Salvaginas, Ruth Alipaz, a community leader and activist from San José de Uchupiamona and several other indigenous women leaders spoke about the alarming impact the pandemic is having on Bolivia’s indigenous communities. They expressed concerns regarding the pandemic affecting not only the health but general livelihood of their communities. Food security has the potential to become a major concern in these areas especially due to the fact that several industries and businesses employing indigenous community members have shut down in response to the pandemic. Current lock-down restrictions are also negatively impacting main sources of income (i.e., tourism, fishing, and agriculture) for these communities. Furthermore, for individuals living in these areas, accessing funds from local banks is exceedingly difficult given their secluded locations and also is hazardous in respect to potential viral exposure. In regard to education, concerns have been raised regarding transitions to virtual learning and subsequently, the children from these communities being put at a steep disadvantage and losing a year of schooling. Cell phone signals in these remote areas are poor and therefore, virtual learning is not a feasible option for children in these communities. 

The ongoing pandemic is not only a public health concern to these indigenous populations, but an environmental threat as well. United Nations expert, José Francisco Cali Tzay reported that consultations between governments and indigenous people in relation to the environmental impacts of megaprojects such as agribusiness, mining, dams and other infrastructures have been abruptly suspended due to the ongoing pandemic. Reports indicate that gold dredging has expanded significantly over the past several months in the area of Madidi National Park. Overall there is serious concern that the decreased government surveillance and enforcement due to social distancing measures may ultimately result in greater exploitation of these indigenous territories. This may mean that the proposed Chepete-El Bala mega-dams project may be put on the table yet again under the guise of supporting economic growth in a post-COVID world. What is certain, however, is that the ongoing pandemic poses a tremendous threat to the survival of indigenous communities around the world. 

Faced with COVID-19 ... "We must cultivate our garden." - Daniel Robison

As an agroecologist who lives and has a farm in the Bolivian Amazon, Dr. Daniel Robison raised early warnings about problems with food supplies during a pandemic: “it wasn't until March 20 that the following idea came to my mind strongly: food is going to be scarce. They are going to be relatively scarce everywhere, and this scarcity will hit the most vulnerable first, hardest and longest. We do not know how long this shortage will last. When food is perceived to be scarce, the price rises and the poorest become even more vulnerable.”

Bolivia “ has been, in official accounts, a net food exporter due to extensive soy production in the extreme south of the Amazon. However, most of the food most people eat increasingly comes from Peru, Chile, Brazil and Argentina, in that order. In short, in the last 14 years it has become much cheaper to import food, including our native potato, than to produce it in the country.”

“We could anticipate a time when the government will have to decide "do we let older people die at a higher rate or do we let people become increasingly insecure about food?" How long could this last?  Rurrenabaque has lived off ecotourism for more than 25 years, but the last tourists have left and who knows when they will return in large numbers. International flights have stopped almost all over the world; airline employees are being laid off. The pandemic will have to end more or less clearly for airlines to rehire, it will take time for people to resume their visit to the Andes and the Amazon. Then only this would allow people to go back to buy as much food as they could do until two weeks ago.”

“whether we  rebuild the old and damaged system or we build a new and untested system, it will take months, if not years, to return to “normal” food security. Meanwhile, the most vulnerable people in our societies, many of whom were already food insecure in the system in place until two weeks ago, are heading off a cliff. Although throughout the world the percentage of people suffering from different forms and degrees of malnutrition has decreased in the last 3 decades, these improvements are not guaranteed. If supply chains are disrupted, these hard-won improvements could quickly erode.”

“NOW is when a family should start their garden or help other people expand and care for their gardens.  In the southern hemisphere, entering the winter and dry season we still have several alternatives depending on where we live. I also believe that it is compatible with recommended social distancing and the need for people to get fresh air and exercise. And if my forecasts turn out to be wrong, and there would be no breakdown of the production chains, at least we will have access to some nutritious food in the coming months!”

You can read the entire Spanish-language blog here. An English version is here.

What does Bolivia’s transition in government mean for the Chepete-Bala dam proposals? - by Hayley Stuart

The past three months in Bolivia have seen nation-wide conflicts result in enormous changes in government, leaving Bolivians on all sides of the political spectrum reeling and dazed. Evo Morales, the ex-president accused of committing election fraud after running for a fourth term, was ousted November 10th and sought amnesty in Mexico. In his stead is the new interim president Jeanine Añez, who is widely labeled an evangelical right-ist. This transitory government has taken on the task of restoring peace in the cities, addressing Bolivia’s most urgent issues, and organizing the future elections. 

The Former Government

While initially praised for decreasing unemployment and poverty in Bolivia (from 38% in 2006 to 17% in 2018), Evo’s regime was criticized for its extractivist agenda which pushed forward controversial mega-projects such as the TIPNIS Highway Project, lithium mines, nuclear power plants, and enormous hydroelectric projects such as Chepete-Bala and Rositas. These massive undertakings reflect the efforts of Evo’s regime to convert Bolivia into the energetic heart of South America. The goal was to export electricity and raw materials to other nations such as Brazil and Argentina, even if it flatly contradicted the Pachamama-loving, indigenous peoples-respecting constitution that Evo Morales preached to the nation and to the world. 

Now that Evo is gone, what do these political changes mean for the Chepete- Bala mega dam proposals that threaten Madidi and Pilon Lajas National Parks? Although his mega-industrial actions contradicted his socialist prose, Evo Morales was at least ostensibly in favor of the concept of Buen Vivir, of indigenous autonomy, and environmental rights. This is more than any of the rightist potential candidates can say. 

Projects rejected... For now...

Since the change in power, stakeholders have been listening with ears pricked for any indication for the government’s stance on the polemic hydro projects. In a plot twist given the new rightist government, many politicians have sided against the Chepete-Bala mega dams. According to a news article by El Diario, The Minister of Energy, Rodrigo Guzmán announced on November 29th that the El Bala project was an irresponsible pipe dream of the previous government, and would be archived. His reasoning was that the project was attempted “without prior consultation and has high environmental risk”. He also added that producing 3,700 megawatts would require a “pharaonic investment”, and would undoubtedly “become another white elephant” for Bolivia.

On the other hand, maybe this is not a plot twist at all, but an epiphany of common sense. The Chepete-Bala mega dams would have produced some of the most expensive electricity in all of Latin America. A Fundación Solón article describes how Bolivia would have to depend on a buyer paying 70 USD per MWh for the next fifty years in order to pay off the construction of the dams. With countries like Chile and Mexico generating solar and wind energy for under 30 USD per MWh, and not even taking into account the downward trend energy prices are predicted to have in coming decades, it doesn’t take a genius to realize that Bolivia would be hard-pressed to secure an eager buyer. Perhaps the plain figures of bringing Chepete- Bala to fruition is enough to deter politicians and individuals on all sides of the spectrum. After all, eternal national debt, wasted resources, and socio-environmental catastrophe, are not good selling points. However, it is important to recognize that this type of official declaration was unthinkable with the former government, who pushed large-scale development at all costs.

So is this the end of the threats to Bolivia’s rivers? Unfortunately, we fear that it is not. 

Sharks in the water 

Not everyone is in line with the minister’s stance. According to The Los Tiempos article on the transitional government, liberal economist Gabriel Espinoza insists that it is necessary for Bolivia’s development to carry out the Chepete-Bala plans, as well as other mega projects. He is not the only one to think this way, and as of now, the future candidates are bleak in environmental terms. It seems that not one of them opposes the dams’ construction as of yet.

An age-old project: stubborn, and born to last

It would be naïve to assume that the fate of these colossal projects would be determined so permanently in so short a time period. Indeed, 10 billion dollar dam proposals are not so easily dissuaded. To understand the nature of these projects, we must understand their history...

 International Rivers explains how the idea to build a dam in the El Bala section goes back to the 50s. It was hoped that this one dam would propel the nation into modernity, but at the hefty price of inundating a staggering 2000 km2, and causing incalculable damage to communities and ecosystems. In response to local and international outcry, in 1998 the project was pushed to the side and archived until 2016, when a new design was proposed. In this design, a second dam (Chepete) would be built behind the first dam (El Bala) which would reduce the flooding to only 771 km2, about the size of New York City’s five boroughs combined. Of course, this design would still cause massive devastation to the surrounding ecosystem and indigenous communities, but was considered a significant improvement to the former option, and labeled green and clean. The fact remains however, that these herculean dreams stemmed from an industrial age and mentality that most in the 21st century would deem obsolete and counterproductive.

So what now?

We must realize that the last fifty years or more have seen a multitude of political regimes, and all the while the wheels for these dam projects have tumbled on patiently through the decades. All in all, the recent change in governmental position is a good start to stopping these giants, but make no mistake, this is not the last we’ve heard of the Chepete-Bala proposals. These types of projects have a history of being shelved for a time and then dusted off and reconsidered. Many projects have been shut down after socio-environmental campaigns make enough fuss, and then insidiously return like zombies from the grave when least expected. 

The message here is that now is a time to be vigilant and to spread awareness. While government politics fluctuate, company agendas are fairly steady in their objectives, and opportunistic when the right political flavor comes to power. While permanent project shut down is possible and necessary, let’s not be fooled in to thinking it had occurred. The only true way to see the end of this threat is to continue protecting Madidi and Pilon Lajas, empower the communities that inhabit it, explore viable alternatives, and to raise awareness about the threats to these global treasures.

“Nadie se cansa, nadie se rinde” (Nobody gets tired, nobody gives up) - by Olivia Carter-Pokras

On November 3, thousands of Bolivian-Americans joined together in front of the Lincoln memorial in Washington DC to support the millions of Bolivian citizens who have been protesting the October 20 election during the past few weeks. It was a moving moment for many of us—to see so many Bolivian Americans together in one place. Families came with their children and even dogs, bearing the Bolivian flag and wearing the colors of Bolivia. Posters and signs echoed messages seen on Facebook and other social media from Bolivia, and spray painted on buildings throughout the country (e.g., Bolivia dijo no).

Organized in just a few days through social media, participants were united in their concern that Bolivia’s democracy is at risk. The international news media has been relatively quiet about the violence against protestors in Bolivia and government threats to stop food and water from entering cities, and participants on Sunday were asked to share pictures and videos of our gathering on social media. Protests worldwide, and blockades and strikes in Bolivian cities are tapping into anger over President Morales’ 13-year old rule.

Just prior to the election, the massive fires that destroyed over 4 million acres in eastern Bolivia triggered mass protests against the environmental policies of President Evo Morales. Although he did request international aid, President Morales stopped short of declaring a national emergency. Critics have pointed out that the decree he passed to expand agricultural land use encouraged uncontrolled burning.

The fires are not the only environmental policy that protestors have been concerned about. The 2014 book From Enron to Evo: pipeline politics, global environmentalism, and indigeneous rights in Bolivia summarizes the concerns: “while the Evo Morales administration has made some advances with respect to the environment, such as the modest pursuit of renewable energy initiatives, its green discourse has been coupled with practices on the ground that degrade the environment and threaten indigenous peoples’ livelihood…resurrects struggles over…the rights to free, prior, and informed consultation, compensation, self-determination, and territory.” In May 2019, the International Rights of Nature Tribunal issued its ruling on the Bolivian government’s road development project in the Isiboro Sécure National Park and Indigenous Territory (TIPNIS), and declared that Bolivia has “violated the rights of nature and of indigenous peoples as defenders of Mother Earth and have failed to comply with its obligation to respect, protect, and guarantee the rights of Mother Earth as established under national legislation and relevant international regulations.”

Yesterday, a special session on Bolivia was held by the Organization of American States (OAS).   Ambassador Carlos Trujillo, Permanent Representative of the United States to the OAS expressed concerns regarding the “legitimacy of the Bolivian Government and its electoral authorities, which have already declared President Evo Morales the winner, despite the well documented report of the OAS electoral observation mission citing numerous irregularities, including the interruption of the Transmission of Preliminary Election Results (TREP).”  He echoed the sentiments of many of the protestors in Washington DC and Bolivia, calling for a “second round of free and fair elections, as recommended by the OAS electoral observation mission.”

What are the implications of the election controversy for the planned mega-dams in Madidi and Pilon Lajas?  Regardless of the election outcome, it will be important to continue to monitor plans for the mega-dams. Prior to the controversial election on October 20, 4 political analysts concluded that the platforms for all candidates were remarkably similar in terms of the environment. None of the Presidential candidates has expressed interest in stopping plans for the mega-dams or proposed how they would move away from an extractivist economy. At a meeting on October 11, 2019 in Rurrenbaque, about 200 representatives of organizations of indigenous and indigenous peoples of Colombia, Brazil and Bolivia concluded that changes to the existing development model in Bolivia of extractivism will also stop the construction of hydroelectric plants, ecocide and dispossession of land.

Please see this CNN interview with environmental activist, Ruth Alipaz for more information about what is happening in Bolivia: Evo is commiting crimes against humanity

Outside in support for indigenous communities facing government-imposed mega dams in tropical Bolivia in the age of social media - by Daniel Robison

Born and raised in Bolivia, Dan Robison PhD is a Professor of Practice of Future Generations University and a resident of Rurrenbaque, the gateway to Madidi National Park and the Bolivian Amazon. After graduating from Kansas State University in Natural Resources Management in 1984, he was appointed as a Marshall Scholar to the United Kingdom. In 1987 he obtained a Ph.D. at the University of Reading, with fieldwork in tropical Bolivia. His dissertation was a soil-based assessment of the sustainability of an alternative to slash and burn agriculture.

Between 1988 and 1993, he did postdoctoral work in the Agroecological Studies Unit at the International Center for Tropical Agriculture in Cali, Colombia. In 1993 he returned to Bolivia and has worked as an independent consultant in Protected Areas Management and Agroecology. His life interest is the sustainable use of the Amazon.

In November 2018, Dr. Robison presented a webinar on the deep history and efforts by indigeneous communities to counter the plans for the mega-dams. You can access his taped webinar here. The slides for his presentation can be accessed here.

The indigenous government, the indigenous businesswoman and the Bala - by Daniel Robison

“On April 18 of this year, an indigenous woman went to a United Nations forum to denounce that her Government would be systematically violating the rights of indigenous communities in her country. In itself, this should not come as a surprise. Precisely this United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues exists because discrimination and exploitation of indigenous peoples by power groups in many regions of the world is very widespread. The big difference is that the government denounced was that of Bolivia, and its president, a leader of indigenous ancestry recognized worldwide and at the head of a supposedly indigenous government, had spoken two days before in front of the UN General Assembly with a speech to in favor of the rights of Mother Earth and with a proposal to change the name of the aforementioned Forum from “Indigenous Issues” to “Indigenous Rights”. See the rest of this Spanish-language blog entry by Dr. Daniel Robison, Professor of Practice at Future Generations University and long-time resident of Rurrenbaque here.

Down with NeoPotism - by Daniel Robison

According to this Spanish-language blog post, “the Chepete-Bala mega dams, which with more than 7 billion dollars would double the national debt at a stroke.” In December, the vice president announced in Achacachi that the energy of these dams would be to sell to Brazil and Chile “at a very good price” [24] although the prefeasibility studies did not study possible markets [25] . (The vice also indicated, in a potistic way, that those who oppose the idea would be traitors to the homeland). [26] While these studies have been handled as TOP SECRET reports have been leaked. According to the Italian consulting firm GEODATA, the energy that Chepete would generate could cost a minimum of 55 dollars MWh after about 10 - 15 years of construction and more than 7,000 million dollars of investment, without thinking about possible delays or surcharges. They recommend postponing El Bala since its energy production would cost $ 81 per MWh. They believe that for Chepete it would be profitable they would have to sell the energy at 70 MWh dollars for 50 years [27] .

Compare this data with the reality of energy supply and demand. Chile has in its territory the Atacama Desert, which in its upper parts supposedly has the greatest potential per m 2 for solar energy in the world [28] . In 2016, Chile made an international tender and hired a Spanish company [29] to produce solar electricity at $ 29.1 MWh [30] , [31] . In other words, a company has offered, and has been hired, to generate electricity to sell in Chile for $ 29, already with its profit included. This price would have been a world record for the lowest price for commercial electricity, because prices are going down. Proof of this is that they have just signed a contract in Mexico with an Italian company to generate wind power at 17.7 MWh dollars [32] , that is, this result is being reproduced elsewhere. Who believes that Chile is going to buy electricity from Bolivia at 55 dollars in 2028 (Chepete) or 81 dollars in 2040 (Bala) when today it already got 29 dollars in its own territory, and has a whole desert to expand? In Brazil there are also great efforts to produce wind and solar energy, where prices of all types of generation already average $ 52 and are decreasing [33] . Why would they buy Bolivia at 70 dollars for 50 years?

You can read the rest of this Spanish-language blog post here.

The Vice President, indigeneous groups, and El Bala - by Daniel Robison

According to this Spanish-language blog post from Dr. Daniel Robison, the Vice President claims that "Those who oppose us to make roads are traitors to Bolivia, those people who do not want us to do dams do not want Bolivia to move forward ... they are alert against those people who want our Bolivia to continue to be dismembered by other countries." "When we wanted to make a road to Tipnis, they didn't let us make a road, as they don't want to let us make roads north of La Paz, as they don't want to let us make our El Bala dam.. On January 24, 2017, the Vice President at a press conference announced that the energy that would be generated in “El Bala” would no longer be only for Brazil but also for Chile [12]. “When we have the Bala working or have part of Rositas working, Bolivia is presented in the market of Chile and Brazil with a great offer of large energy volumes and very good prices.” The Vice President describes the opponents of the dams as traitors and right-wing people. But in reality those who oppose more, with very good reasons, are the people of the 46 communities and 5 Community Land of Origin that would be directly affected by the flooding that will cause the two proposed dams, Chepete and Bala.” You can read the entire blog post here.

Park Rangers in the North, Guardaparques del Norte, SocioPáramo and the Water Crisis - by Daniel Robison

It is worth adding that the official in charge of the National Protected Areas Service (SERNAP), a former governor of Potosí without any experience in natural resource management, is of the opinion that the mega dams in Bala and Chepete are a good idea since they could mean income for the affected areas [8] . A minimum of analysis shows, putting aside the great impact, that the possible income would only be produced within 15 years and would be a clearly lower amount than what could be perceived from betting on tourism, being Madidi the most diverse Park of the world. And this is not to mention that smaller-scale hydroelectric plants could be installed in other places, with less impact, and thus Bolivia could have the two sources of income quietly at the same time.

A few days ago García Linera admitted not having bathed for three days due to lack of water. On the other hand, he said that he has investigated the issue and that there would be no relationship between trees and water since Italy has much less trees than Bolivia, but everyone in Italy has water [9] .

You can read more of this Spanish-language post here.

Mega dams of Bala and Chepete: the consultation process in the Plurinational State for a sacred cow that would lay golden eggs - by Daniel Robison

“On Monday, October 17, 2016 there was a historic event on the beaches of the Beni River at the entrance to the narrow of the Bala (Figures 1 and 2). There, representatives of many indigenous communities met who would be affected by the construction and operation of a mega dam in the narrow Chepete and then another in the Bala. Present were 17 communities of the Tsimane, Mosetén, Tacana and Josesana ethnic groups, which are located downstream of the narrow Chepete, organized several years ago in the so-called Commonwealth of Communities. There were also representatives of the TCO Mosetén (upstream of Chepete) and people from CMILAP (Central of Indigenous Women of Northern La Paz) and CNAMIB (National Confederation of Indigenous Women of Bolivia).” See the rest of this Spanish-language blog here.

El Bala and Chepete Dams: "Pure Gain" or irreversible Monument to extractivism? - by Daniel Robison

“In recent months, the proposal of the Bolivian government to build two mega-dams on the Beni River has taken a lot of momentum, with processed environmental files and an Italian company hired for the final design study. It is clear in the official speech that, given the low prices of hydrocarbons, and minerals in general, the Government seeks to replace these revenues with the sale of electricity to neighboring countries. This was explained by President Morales who also indicated that the dams, after about 6 years of operations to recover the investment, would be "purely for profit.” This energy development project for export is considered as an idea not only compatible with a process of change based on the concept of Buen Vivir (Good Living), but now would be essential for it. In other words, there is no talk of alternatives or questions to the project.” You can access the rest of this Spanish-language blog here.