With the support of more than fifteen local and national organizations, Environment Las Americas sent three representatives to Sucre April 17th and 18th to present proposed amendments to the Bolivian constitution to the Constitutional Assembly. The Assembly is composed of citizens elected directly from every territorial division within each municipality, principally with the backing of political parties or civil society organizations. Convened in July 2006, delegates face the daunting task of reviewing and combining over 7,000 proposals into one concise document.

Environment las Americas was the only organization to put forth for inclusion in the constitution the precautionary principle, a powerful environmental protection drawn from international law.  Intended to prevent environmental degradation, immediate and irreversible environmental harm, the lack of scientific proof (such as environmental impact studies) cannot be used as an excuse to avoid assuming appropriate measures to avoid said damage. Environment Las Americas also proposed a modification to Bolivian Constitutional Amparo. Normally, Amparo is a last resort mechanism by which an individual, having failed to make his or her plea heard before lesser authorities, can directly appeal to the Supreme Court to ensure that his or her constitutional rights are upheld. Environment Las Americas has proposed that in environmental cases, the right to Amparo should be immediately applicable, without having to go through ineffective and lengthy bureaucratic processes. If incorporated into the constitution, these inclusions alone would make the Bolivian Magna Carta one of the most progressive in the world.

The proposal was presented to nine different constitutional commissions, all relevant to environmental health and security. Delegates showed tremendous sympathy and enthusiasm for the proposal, relating it to the work of their respective commissions, as well as to their personal experience. One delegate even requested to become a member of Environment Las Americas.

All of the principles included in Environment Las America’s proposal were incorporated into the Commission on Natural Resources, Land, Territories and the Environment’s own proposal for the Constitutional Assembly. On April 30th, the twenty-one commissions of the Constitutional Assembly will met to vote on the amendments compiled by each. A final vote will come at the end of August, which will determine the final form of the Constitution.

Recognizing the influence and importance of the current administration, Environment Las Americas has also worked with the Department of the Environment of the federal government.  Several meetings in La Paz and consistent communication with technicians and officials within the Department proved extremely fruitful. Environment Las Americas is pleased to announce that the Department of the Environment also incorporated many of our articles and principles into their own environmental proposal. We eagerly anticipate the results of these referenda.