Bolivia – On March 31, 2026, the municipalities of Palos Blancos and Alto Beni were awarded Blue Communities recognition for their commitment to water conservation, the defense of their land, environmental protection, and the rejection of all forms of water privatization and commercialization.

The agreement was signed on March 24, 2026, and the official ceremony took place on March 27, 2026, at the La Paz Press Workers Federation (FTPLP) headquarters. Óscar Olivera, from Fundación Abril and leader of the 2000 Cochabamba Water War, presented the awards.

This achievement reflects the culmination of over 5 years of organized effort from local communities, municipal governments, and grassroots organizations, committed to “water conservation, the defense of their land, environmental protection, and the rejection of all forms of water privatization and commercialization.”

“We were able to verify the coherence and commitment to the recognition of water as a common good, the rejection of all forms of privatization, commercialization and commodification of water, and the administrative environmental management, as transparent as water itself, carried out by the autonomous governments of Alto Beni and Palos Blancos, deserving of this recognition as a Blue Community.” – Javier Márquez, Platform for Community and Public Partnerships of the Americas

Mining operations, which have historically taken precedence over public health and water quality as communities along the Beni River, downstream from mining areas, have reported mercury contamination, health problems, and fish scarcity. Bolivia, historically, is one of the world’s leading importers of mercury, that primarily supplies gold-mining co-operatives. 

In response, Bolivian communities have fought to protect the water sources that originate in the mountains and feed the La Paz River, rejecting mercury-intensive mining, and strengthening local governance without extractivism. The agreement also formalizes a shared commitment among national and local institutions to uphold environmental regulations and counter illegal mining activities in Amazonian territories.

This recognition took place within a movement, rather than an isolated event, as the municipalities joined forces with neighboring municipalities San Buenaventura and Rurrenabaque, which already have zero-mining laws, as Bolivians continue pressure to render mining illegal through national law.