water as a constitutional right
in
uruguay
?
redes/friends of the
earth
Uruguay
In October 2003, a ‘human river'
organized by Friends of the Earth Uruguay
and other social and environmental groups
delivered a petition of 280,000 signatures
to the Uruguayan Parliament. The petition
launched a procedure for constitutional
reform that will be voted on, simultaneous
to the national elections, on 31 October
2004 . The proposed reform would halt and
reverse the privatization of drinking water
services and the commodification and sale
of the country's fresh water reserves,
including the Guarani Aquifer, one of the
most important on the planet. The reform
would also guarantee the public,
participatory and sustainable management of
the country's water resources.
If adopted, the reform would make access
to water a fundamental human right and a
constitutional right. This right would thus
even be protected from erosion through free
trade and investment agreements such as
those in the World Trade Organization, the
Free Trade Area of the Americas and other
bilateral and regional agreements.
The constitutional reform proposal has
become the hottest political issue in the
country, with the government and affected
and interested corporations trying to
undermine widespread public support through
a massive media misinformation
campaign.
more information
:
referendum
result: 60% reject water
privatization
read about the campaign
history
Friends of the Earth Uruguay :
www.redes.org.uy
(in
Spanish)
