Following what has become an ominous tradition during his presidency, Evo Morales celebrated Labor Day (May 1st in most of the world) by expropriating energy companies. Early Saturday, Bolivian troops occupied the facilities of four private electrical utilities, which were owned until then by local and foreign companies.

In explaining his tough-handed modus operandi, Morales shared his views [in Spanish] on the importance of government institutions in solving legal disagreements in Bolivia:

“We made every effort to reach an agreement with the private multinational companies, and if there’s no will to reach an agreement through dialogue, then we have government institutions such as the army and the national police.”