“I believe that the true transformational power of life resides in people's capacity for organization and mobilization.” (Olivera, in a 2007 interview with Yes Magazine)
Perhaps no one embodied the spirit of the people of Cochabamba during the water wars as well as Oscar Olivera. Born in 1955, Olivera grew up in a family that “knew about the division of classes without having to read any kind of Marxist book” (International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, 2013). His family ran a small empanada business which Olivera worked for when he was growing up, but they still struggled to make ends meet. At age 16, he began working in factories and he took his first leadership role in the labor movement when he went to work at a shoe factory eight years later in 1979 (Casada-Alaniz, 2004). When the water systems in Cochabamba were privatized, Olivera became one of the key leaders of the movement. Specifically, he became the spokesperson, the group’s preferred term, of La Coordinadora de la Defensa del Gas y Agua (the Committee for the Defense of Water and Life).
Olivera’s leadership doctrine has been described as one that places an emphasis on “proposing” rather than “imposing” (Casada-Alaniz, 2004). In an interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, he made it clear that the people of Cochabamba, not him, or Evo Morales, who went on to become the president of Bolivia, were the real protagonists of the protests. He has also espoused an idea of democracy where the people do not rely on a few leaders to make decisions on their behalf but are active participants in governance. “We want a democracy of participation, a democracy where the people can make decisions about their own future,” he said in an interview with upsidedownworld.com, a website that covers activism and political issues in South America.
After the water war ended, Olivera continued to head La Coordinadora’s effort to create a sustainable water supply system (The Goldman Environmental Prize, 2001). Today, Olivera continues to advocate for leadership from the bottom- democratic systems that move away from political party structures to driving change from the grassroots.
Perhaps no one embodied the spirit of the people of Cochabamba during the water wars as well as Oscar Olivera. Born in 1955, Olivera grew up in a family that “knew about the division of classes without having to read any kind of Marxist book” (International Center on Nonviolent Conflict, 2013). His family ran a small empanada business which Olivera worked for when he was growing up, but they still struggled to make ends meet. At age 16, he began working in factories and he took his first leadership role in the labor movement when he went to work at a shoe factory eight years later in 1979 (Casada-Alaniz, 2004). When the water systems in Cochabamba were privatized, Olivera became one of the key leaders of the movement. Specifically, he became the spokesperson, the group’s preferred term, of La Coordinadora de la Defensa del Gas y Agua (the Committee for the Defense of Water and Life).
Olivera’s leadership doctrine has been described as one that places an emphasis on “proposing” rather than “imposing” (Casada-Alaniz, 2004). In an interview with Amy Goodman of Democracy Now!, he made it clear that the people of Cochabamba, not him, or Evo Morales, who went on to become the president of Bolivia, were the real protagonists of the protests. He has also espoused an idea of democracy where the people do not rely on a few leaders to make decisions on their behalf but are active participants in governance. “We want a democracy of participation, a democracy where the people can make decisions about their own future,” he said in an interview with upsidedownworld.com, a website that covers activism and political issues in South America.
After the water war ended, Olivera continued to head La Coordinadora’s effort to create a sustainable water supply system (The Goldman Environmental Prize, 2001). Today, Olivera continues to advocate for leadership from the bottom- democratic systems that move away from political party structures to driving change from the grassroots.