| The Bolivian government has moved closer to | | | | Separately, the Bolivian Congress last week approved |
| nationalizing Entel, the country's largest | | | | contracts as part of a plan by Mr. Morales to |
| telecommunications company. | | | | nationalize the country's oil and gas industry. |
| On Monday, President Evo Morales' government | | | | Lawmakers set aside past differences and |
| ordered the transfer of 47 percent of Entel's stock | | | | unanimously approved all 44 deals negotiated last year |
| from two private pension funds to state control. | | | | with several foreign energy companies. |
| Authorities also were negotiating for the sale of the 50 | | | | Mr. Morales pledged during his campaign in late 2005 to |
| percent stake held by an Italian company Telecom | | | | give greater political and economic power to the |
| Italia. | | | | country's poor. He is Bolivia's first indigenous president. |
| President Morales has set May first as the deadline for | | | | Some information for this report was provided by |
| the nationalization of Entel. | | | | AFP, AP and Reuters. |