*** Due to unforeseen circumstances the Dublin meeting on water privatisation has been postponed until Sunday Nov 27th. It will take place in the Teachers Club, Parnell Sq. at 5pm. ***

In January 2005 Bolivia’s second water war was launched in the city of El Alto. Armed with sticks, traditional indigenous Aymara flags and the words - ‘Fuera Aguas del Illimani! Aguas del Illimani must go!’ - the people of El Alto challenged Bolivia’s President and the World Bank to expel Suez - one of the world’s largest water corporations - and return water to public control. In a city of 800,000 poor indigenous rural migrants -the privatisation of water left 200,000 people without access to a water service and imposed a $500 connection fee on people living on less than $1 a day. Inspired by the success of Bolivia’s first water war in Cochabamba (2000) - which saw the termination of a 30-year private water contract with US engineering giant, Bechtel Corporation - the people of El Alto were determined to fight for their right to water.

After an initial victory, the government rolled back on its’ promise of a publicly controlled company when Suez threatened to bring a multi-million dollar lawsuit against the Bolivian state. Over the last year, El Alto’s community interest group, el Fejuve has struggled to negotiate a fair and just water service for the people of El Alto.

As a representative of El Fejuve, Julian Perez will speak in Dublin and Derry on the 25th and 26th November respectively about the citizen led campaign to reverse the privatisation of water service as demanded by World Bank lending conditions. In both venues he will be joined by local campaigners involved in resisting water privatisation on the Island of Ireland.