The Associated Press reports that, “(Bolivia’s ambassador to the United Nations) Pablo Solon confirms that the United States reduced aid (to his country by $3-3.5 million) after it opposed the adoption of the Copenhagen Accord brokered at the U.N. climate summit last December in the Danish capital.”
“Bolivia has protested the suspension of U.S. climate aid as ‘a very bad practice’, but says it won’t change its policies on global warming.”
“Speaking to reporters Saturday, Solon questioned the value of negotiation when financial pressure is applied to those who disagree.”
Solon said, “What kind of negotiation can it be when there is pressure that you may lose aid if you don’t agree or follow some positions?”
Reuters reports that Denmark has also cut its aid to Bolivia.
In the Reuters report, Solon says, “Some concrete projects have been cancelled. We have received a cut of aid… That is the case of Denmark and that is the case of the United States. We think they are very unfair, we think this is a way of punishing.”
AP adds, “Bolivia is hosting its own three-day climate conference this month, saying the Copenhagen summit failed to produce a legally binding agreement.”
The Council of Canadians will be present at this climate conference in Bolivia. For more on that, please go to http://canadians.org/cochabamba.
Pablo Solon has also tentatively confirmed to speak at our public forum on the G20 on June 25 in Toronto. More details on that event are coming soon.
The Associated Press report is at http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5i9TuMrvrknh-ZXwqmZ2N-48kff3wD9F095HG1.