Bolivian President Evo Morales is a longtime champion of the right of all citizens to drinking water. While serving in the country’s Congress, Morales made a name for himself in 2000 by helping to lead protests against water-service privatization and rate hikes in Cochabamba under then-President Hugo Banzer. In that successful fight, Morales shared the spotlight, and went on to win the presidency in December 2005. As president, Morales spearheaded the adoption of a new constitution in 2009 that refers to water as “a most fundamental right for life,” prohibiting privatization of surface and underground water sources. He also took part in a successful push for a United Nations General Assembly resolution, adopted in 2010, that declares water “an essential human right for... [Log in to read more]