Resumen:
The wave of privatizations Latin America experienced during the 1990s was
integral to stabilization programs and a general reordering of states’ roles in
the regional economy. Over the past few years, however, these privatizations
have come under increasing fire. Their purported adverse effects range from
higher utility prices to aggravating—or even causing—the current regional
recession. In short, privatization shares in the criticism directed at the entire
liberalization process.
Within this context, accurate knowledge of privatization’s real consequences
can be of considerable value. While research has been conducted
on certain economic effects, less is known about privatization’s broader
social consequences. This chapter attempts to fill some of those gaps as they
concern Bolivia.
