Canadian Water Activist Maude Barlow Considers Legal Action Against Suez Subsidiary in Bolivia

Maude Barlow, national chairperson of the Council of Canadians, released a statement today demanding that Aguas del Illimani, a subsidiary of Suez, immediately retract claims it made to the Bolivian media taking credit for financing water expansion in the community of Solidaridad.

On June 3, Aguas Illimani took out an advertisement in El Diario, a Bolivian newspaper, stating the project was funded by the company - a claim even challenged by the Bolivian ministry of water. In reality, the infrastructure was installed by residents of Solidaridad with money donated by Barlow.

"Suez has insulted this community by publicly taking credit for this initiative," says the world-renowned activist and author. "If Aguas del Illimani insists on claiming they financed this project, they should return the contribution so we can use it in another community which does not have access to water."

Bolivian civil society groups have pledged to join Barlow in taking legal action and seeking political measures to rectify Suez's action. "Maude Barlow is well known for her work against the commercialization of water," says Oscar Olivera of la Coordinadora del Agua y la Vida in Cochabamba. "It is ironic that Suez, a multinational water corporation would take credit for her private efforts to support a Bolivian community without access to water."

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