Alessandra Bastos
Reporter - Agência Brasil

Brasília – Yesterday was a calm and normal day in the capital of Bolivia, La Paz, reports the Brazilian embassy there. With the announcement of the nationalization of the country's gas and oil reserves, little changed. Gas stations opened normally and there was no problem with supply.

The nationalization announcement came on May Day, which most of the world celebrates as Labor Day, a traditional time for special presidential messages. But for most Bolivians the message was an unexpected surprise.

The embassy reports that the Indian population of Bolivia, 85%, strongly favors the Morales decision and the way it was done. Most of the remaining population is anti-Morales and fears that the nationalization will harm the country causing foreign firms to leave.

However, it must be pointed out that nationalization was a central part of the Morales presidential campaign platform. Morales promised to implement the results of a referendum in which 90% of the voters were favorable to nationalization.

Morales still has two other important campaign promises to keep: a constitutional assembly and the recovery of Bolivia's access to the Pacific Ocean (the country lost its coastline in a war with Chile in the 19th century).

Translation: Allen Bennett