[PEN-L:11629] Neoliberalism, Privatization: Puerto Rico

[by way of [EMAIL PROTECTED] (Raymond Chase)]

           Neoliberalism and Latin America:
           Puerto Rico's Workers' Fight Back
           
           Martha's update on Argentina reminded me of Puerto
           Rico's workers recent response to privatization. Last July
           11, tens of thousands of telephone company workers
           converged on the island's capital to protest the local
           colonial government's decision to sell the Puerto Rico
           Telephone Co.
           
           Contrary to the experience of other Latin American
           countries' the island's phone company was bought from
           ITT in 1974 when it became a public corporation. Since
           then, and despite earlier attempts (1990) to sell the public
           enterprise the phone company has become a profitable
           enterprise  More than a million and a half Puerto Ricans
           have phones, Puerto Rico has the highest rate of Internet
           users in Latin America, extensive and modern fiber optic
           lines, cell phones, beepers etc. From 1993 to 1996 profits
           increased 33% for a total of more than a $1 billion dollars. 
           
           However, blinded by the rush toward "free markets" the
           island's colonial government seems to believe that selling
           the island's national resources will aid in leveraging
           statehood for Puerto Rico as well as subsidize the deficit
           of other failed privatization efforts. All major labor
           federations have supported the call of phone workers to
           stop the "sellout" and have promised another national
           strike similar to one that brought the 1990 attempt to sell
           the public corporation process to a halt.
           
           As Puerto Rico prepares to "commemorate" 100 years of
           colonialism in 1998, the phone privatization process has
           also served as a catalyst for the island's nationalist and
           socialist forces that support Puerto Rican independence.
           The major left and nationalist forces have called for a
           national effort to stop the sale. Recently, the Machetero
           Guerrilla Army which since its dramatic attacks during the
           1980s (including the bombing of several U.S. Air Force
           Corsair planes, FBI offices) has not conducted military
           operations, warned that it would retaliate if the sale was
           finalized.
            
           Victor M. Rodriguez
           Irvine, CA