Bolivia energy minister quits after Brazil row

[maddezmom]

HAVANA (Reuters) - Just hours after Bolivian President Evo Morales said he trusted "differences" could be worked out with Brazil's Petrobras, riled by a move to seize its refinery revenue, Morales' energy minister resigned.

Bolivian Energy Minister Andres Soliz quit his post on Friday, a day after a resolution nationalizing the Petrobras refineries -- which he had signed -- was suspended due to protests by the Brazilian government.

In the absence of Morales, who is attending a summit of the Non-Aligned Movement of developing nations in Cuba, Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera moved swiftly to appoint former Planning Minister Carlos Villegas as the new energy minister.

"Whatever happens the nationalization process is irreversible," Garcia said. "We want to tell the oil companies that we have ample capacity to negotiate, that we are flexible, that we are tolerant, but we will be intransigent when the time comes."

more:http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060916/wl_nm/energy_bolivia_dc

[Joanne98]

1. Did Morales sell out to Brazil? Is that what this means?

[Dover]

2. Standing up to big oil is a very dangerous but courageous maneuver.

Big Oil companies are wealthier than many nations and won't hesitate to play hardball...if you get my drift. Don't know quite why Soliz quit, but he had already signed the resolution, so perhaps he is simply getting out of the line of fire before the real fire begins.