Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva stated Monday, May 15, that Brazil will seek to become self-sufficient in natural gas production and will continue to buy Bolivian gas, "provided that Bolivian gas remains convenient for the Brazilian people in terms of price."
"Brazil has the capacity, so we will strive to make Brazil self-sufficient. This does not imply that we will not continue to import gas from Bolivia," he affirmed in his weekly radio program, "Breakfast with the President."
In the president’s view, the Bolivian decision to nationalize the country’s gas reserves sparked controversy and "erroneous interpretations."
Lula and the President of Bolivia, Evo Morales, met last week in Austria at the European Union-Latin American-Caribbean Summit. Two days before their encounter, Morales alleged that Petrobras had acted illegally in his country.
"I told president Evo Morales that we recognize that Bolivia is the owner of its gas and that they, the Bolivians, recognize that Brazil is the biggest consumer. We are two countries that need to be at peace, we need to be serene, and, when we make the required adjustments in our agreements, we need to bear in mind, first, the existing contract, and, second, a price that is fair to the Bolivians and, at the same time, fair for the Brazilians who consume the gas," he remarked.
ABr