Uruguay bans water privatization

Uruguay is trailblazing the water front. On Oct. 31, 2004 a solid majority of citizens voted in favor of a referendum titled Constitutional Water Reform in Defense of Water, which would change the constitution to guarantee that water, as a natural resource and human right, should remain a public good out of the reach of large profit-seeking corporations. More than 62 percent of the population supported the reform and rejected water privatization. The National Commission in Defense of Water and Life (CNDAV), a network of social and political organizations created in 2002 as a response to the developing relationship between the Uruguayan government and the International Monetary Fund, paved the way to success on this referendum. When a Letter of Intent was signed between the two entities, the people of Uruguay realized that all of their water and sanitation services could be privatized. They chose to fight back. With the victory of this referendum, access to drinkable water and sanitation should be guaranteed to the whole population as a result of a sustainable and participative public administration.