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¡Cochabamba! | Praise
“¡Cochabamba! shows us that a world beyond corporate globalization
is not just possible, but is actually happening. As the Bolivian people remind
us, there is one power stronger than the power of money—and that is the
power of the people.”
—Vandana Shiva, from the foreword
“After reading this book, no citizen will ever again take for granted
the water that flows from her tap. ¡Cochabamba! embodies the spirit
of a united people who would not allow corporate rule to trump democratic decision-making.”
—Wenonah Hauter, director of Public Citizen's Water for All Campaign
“Oscar Olivera provides us with a passionate inside look at one of Latin
America’s most important social struggles and popular victories. Here is
the tale of how the poor of Bolivia stood down one of the largest corporation’s
in the world, told by the man who did the most to lead the battle.”
—Jim Shultz, executive director of The Democracy Center
After reading ¡Cochabamba!, I can understand the discontent among the people (as well as their protest tactics) far better than that first bewildering exposure. If I had read this book prior to arriving in-country, I would have had the specific context needed in order to interpret what seemed to be total chaos.
—Richard Joseph, author of Transcend:
There are Rights, There are Wrongs … And then, There are Truths
"'¡Cochabamba! is the story of the people's struggle to reclaim control over their water and a story of self-determination and standing up to the imposition of neoliberalism and 'market discipline.'"
—Clamor
"This concise book … is an inspirational account for the beginnings of popular struggle against neoliberal capitalism in Bolivia, a country that has seen the toppling through mass struggle of two neoliberal presidents since the Water War in Cochabamba: Gonzalo (Goni) Sanchez de Lozada in October 2003, and Carlos Mesa Gisbert in June 2005. ¡Cochabamba! is clear, accessible, and uncompromised in its radical political orientation. As such, it is a rare tool for activists and serious scholars alike, who seek both to understand and to change the current world order."
—Jeffery R. Webber, University of Toronto
"¡Cochabamba! does not just describe the triumphs of the water war, but also reveals the difficult process of building an alternative movement for real, popular democracy."
—Bridget Broderick, International Socialist Review
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