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http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=132x2575004
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The Bechtel Group first attracted international attention when it signed a contract with Hugo Banzer, the former Bolivian dictator, to privatize the water supply in the city of Cochabamba. The first thing Bechtel did was to raise the price of water. Hundreds of thousands of people who simply couldn't afford to pay Bechtel's bills came out onto the streets. A huge strike paralyzed the city. Martial law was declared. Although eventually Bechtel was forced to flee its offices, it is currently negotiating an exit payment of millions of dollars from the Bolivian government for the loss of potential profits. Which, as we'll see, is growing into a popular corporate sport.
http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2001-12-21/international-business/27247701_1_dpc-opic-bankrupt-energy-trader-enron
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Enron, GE, Bechtel claim insurance on DPC
washington: bankrupt energy-trader enron, general electric and bechtel have sought more than $200 million in compensation from overseas private investment (opic) for losses they incurred in dabhol power company for which the us agency had provided insurance cover. the companies filed claims with opic in the past week for "expropriation compensation" for the $2.9 billion dpc, said larry spinelli, a spokesman for the agency. "we are looking to the indian government for constructive involvement in the settlement of these issues," spinelli said. dpc was enron's biggest investment outside us as the now-bankrupt company sought to expand overseas. enron put the plant on sale before it declared bankruptcy earlier this month. tata power and bses are currently negotiating with domestic financial institutions, who have loaned dpc $1.4 billion, for a possible purchase of 85 per cent overseas equity in the 2,184 mw project. enron and its partners could face other problems if they pursue the insurance claim. they would have to transfer their share holding in dpc to opic if they file claims. that would mean losing the right to get the money from potential buyers, observers pointed out.
http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/04/21-0
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The World Bank, Shultz explained, coerced the Bolivian government, under President Hugo Banzer, who had ruled as a dictator in the 1970s, to privatize Cochabamba’s water system. The multinational corporation Bechtel, the sole bidder, took control of the public water system.
On Sunday, I walked around the Plaza Principal, in central Cochabamba, with Marcela Olivera, who was out on the streets 10 years ago. I asked her about the movement’s original banner, hanging for the anniversary, that reads, in Spanish, “El agua es nuestra, carajo!”—“The water is ours, damn it!” Bechtel was jacking up water rates. The first to notice were the farmers, dependent on irrigation. They appealed for support from the urban factory workers. Oscar Olivera, Marcela’s brother, was their leader. He proclaimed, at one of their rallies, “If the government doesn’t want the water company to leave the country, the people will throw them out.”
http://www.panama-guide.com/article.php/20101218114819119
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WikiLeaks - US Embassy in Panama Tried To Keep Sacyr From Winning Panama Canal Contract
United States pushed for the contract to construct the expansion of the Panama Canal to be granted to the U.S. firm Bechtel, rather than the Spanish firm ACS and Sacyr, according to American diplomatic messages leaked by Wikileaks and published today by the newspaper El Pais. The US Embassy in Panama tried to find out how much the competing companies were going to bid, and met with the Panama Canal Authority to get the contract. In addition, the US Embassy tried to damage the image of Sacyr, which eventually won the contract, by saying the company was technically bankrupt and sowing doubts about their ability to carry out the project, doubts they say they shared with the Government of Panama. The US Embassy also accused the Spanish firm of winning the contract - with a bid of $3.12 billion dollars, compared to the bid of $4.2 billion by the US company, thanks to the (Panamanian) government. Washington wanted to get the contract at all costs due to the strategic importance of the Panama Canal to the United States, and also because Bechtel's offer included purchases from US suppliers worth more than $200 million dollars. Before the award of the contract, the US embassy said that "a victory for Sacyr would be disconcerting" and the U.S. government asked the U.S. Embassy in Madrid to investigate the possible public support for the project, recognizing its support for Bechtel to generate indirect employment in the United States. (La Prensa) Editor's Comment: Question: Is it legal for US embassy employees to obtain intelligence information regarding the potential bids of foreign (non-US) competitors in international bidding processes such as this for government contracts, and then to pass that information to a private US company in order to potentially help them win the bid? That's a rhetorical question - I already know the answer. The US government obviously has "interests" in seeing US companies operate in foreign countries, however there are strict limits on what they can and cannot do in that regard. Advocacy is one thing, and I have to see the text of the actual message before making a judgement call. But on the face of it...
http://www.hermes-press.com/mega_cartels.htm
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Banking: The Federal Reserve and their consortium of the "Too-Big-to-Fail" mega-banks make up the Wall Street cartel at the apex of all other pyramids. The entire world economy is at the mercy of money creators, managers, and manipulators; using debt they control every nation, industry and person. This cartel, which primarily includes Goldman Sachs, BoA-Merrill, JP Morgan-Chase, Wachovia, Wells Fargo, and CitiBank, has been fully exposed to the public since the 2008 financial collapse where under the guise of crisis the final consolidation occurred. The top four banks, in 2009, controlled 40% of all FDIC insured deposits, have made record profits, and continue to pay record bonuses since the 2008-2009 bailouts. The public was told they needed the TARP bailout because they were too big to fail and so they can restart lending again. The only notable thing the TARP money was used for was further consolidation. It is clear that this most-powerful cartel now has full ownership of the government -- SEC and Congress.
All of these institutions were originally founded by European bankers yet their connections now expand to nearly every central bank and the IMF and World Bank. Together they form a much-too-big-to-fail global cartel who are in complete control of the world's finances and economy and all industry players are subservient to their command.
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