Patterns of Explaining Water Protests in Mexico: Water Privatization in Bolivia, Chile, Aguascalientes, and Mexico City, Relationship to Supply and Water Pollution, Need for Regulation and Subsidies

This late 2018 report has been professionally converted for accurate flowing-text e-book format reproduction. Mexicans only protest water privatization when they feel they are getting a bad deal on issues, such as poor water service, poor water quality, or unaffordable water price. In general, protesters blame privatization when they do not get what they pay for. Issues subsumed under water privatization and the threat to increase privatization are the most significant causal factors of water-related protests in Mexico. Protesters associate bad water service, poor water quality, and unaffordable water prices with water privatization. By analyzing water privatization in Mexico City and Aguascalientes, this thesis finds that state capacity and regulatory frameworks are key factors affecting the success of water privatization. In order to prevent future protests over water privatization, this thesis recommends the following practices: first, Mexico should strengthen its state capacity by reforming its public institutions; second, Mexico should strengthen its regulatory framework to ensure adequate governmental oversight over water companies. Finally, the government of Mexico should promote not-for-profit water companies as a way to avoid predatory practices from private water companies and governmental corruption. Subsidies should accompany each of these recommendations to guarantee access to water at an affordable price for everyone.

This compilation includes a reproduction of the 2019 Worldwide Threat Assessment of the U.S. Intelligence Community.

I. Introduction * A. The Significance Of The Research Question * B. Literature Review * 1. Water Privatization Debate * 2. Water Protests in Mexico * 3. Social Mobilization * C. Hypotheses * D. Research Design * E. Thesis Overview * II. Water Privatization * A. A Brief History of Water Privatization * B. Cases of Water Privatization * 1. Protests: The Bolivian Case * 2. No Protests: The Chilean Case * C. Analysis * III. Protests Over Water Privatization in Mexico * A. Water Privatization in Mexico * B. Case Studies in Mexico * 1. No Protests: Aguascalientes * 2. Protests: Mexico City * C. Analysis * IV. Conclusions * A. Findings * B. Policy Recommendations * C. Future Research: Water Pollution and Protests

Mexico has serious water problems, especially in the big metropolitan areas, where domestic users compete with industry and agriculture for water access. Water usage is very inefficient in Mexico; agriculture consumes 77%, industry uses 10%, and residents account for 13% of water consumption. To cope with the increasing demand for water and the increasing cost to obtain it, Mexican officials propose water privatization or the increase of existing privatization. However, many Mexicans oppose and protest over these propositions. Although social mobilization can result in protest that is peaceful and productive, Latin America has had mixed experiences of water-related demonstrations. One major extreme is Cochabamba, Bolivia, in which protests over water privatization escalated to violent riots. Mexico may face a similar fate if the government and private utility companies either misunderstand or fail to rectify the underlying causes of protest.

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