Bolivia retakes natural gas pipeline

YACUIBA, Bolivia – The military retook control of a natural gas pipeline to Argentina after days of violent protests at gas installations in southern Bolivia, the government said late Friday.

More than 1,000 protesters seized the Yacuiba pipeline station run by Transredes, a subsidiary of Royal Dutch Shell. Protesters broke windows, set fire to two company cars, and threatened to shut off gas deliveries to Argentina.


The protest never shut off the flow, but the government had said Friday that it was preparing to temporarily reduce its natural gas exports to Argentina by about 75 percent and slightly decrease shipments to Brazil due to the protests, at an estimated loss of $1 million a day.

That measure became unnecessary after Friday’s retaking of the control station, the government said. Defense Minister Walker San Miguel said troops and police were guarding all energy installations in southern Bolivia.

AP