Bolivian leader abandons energy bill talks

摘要

Bolivian President Carlos Mesa May 13 gave up on efforts to convince Congress to revise a controversial gas bill,and a rebel group targeted Petrobras' Bolivian subsidiary with a car bomb,as tensions mounted over foreign companies' access to natural gas reserves.Mesa canceled plans to meet Congress May 16 to seek changes to the controversial hydrocarbons law he has threatened to veto,which would raise the tax/royalty burden on foreign gas producers in Bolivia to 50% from about 28%.