Bolivia’s leftist President Evo Morales, who has nationalized some utility companies, raised the possibility Sunday of making all natural resource-related industries property of the state.

The socialist leader of South America’s poorest nation said that “utilities (such as electricity, water and telecommunications) never should be private businesses.”

 

He said that since the state took over the telecom industry under his government, coverage has expanded to rural areas that had never been connected before.

Bolivia, now a key source of lithium used to make batteries for electric cars and laptops, is a key ally of Venezuela’s President Hugo Chavez, Latin America’s highest-profile leftist leader.