Marked with signs reading: "Nationalized," soldiers stand guard outside the offices of Electropaz, an electricity distribution subsidiary of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola, in La Paz, Bolivia, Saturday, Dec. 29. 2012. Bolivia's President Evo Morales issued a decree Saturday allowing the takeover of shares in Electropaz and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), which supply energy in the Andean nation. The decree read by Morales also calls for Iberdrola to receive indemnification after an independent firm is hired within 180 days to determine the value of the nationalized shares. (AP Photo)
Marked with signs reading: "Nationalized," soldiers stand guard outside the offices of Electropaz, an electricity distribution subsidiary of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola, in La Paz, Bolivia, Saturday, Dec. 29. 2012. Bolivia's President Evo Morales issued a decree Saturday allowing the takeover of shares in Electropaz and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), which supply energy in the Andean nation. The decree read by Morales also calls for Iberdrola to receive indemnification after an independent firm is hired within 180 days to determine the value of the nationalized shares. (AP Photo)
The exterior of Spanish energy company Iberdrola is seen, in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. President Evo Morales has nationalized electricity distribution subsidiaries of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola. Morales issued a decree Saturday allowing the takeover of shares in Empresa de Electricidad de La Paz (Electropaz) and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), which supply energy in the Andean nation. Soldiers guarded the installations of the electricity distribution companies, marked with signs reading: "Nationalized". (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
In this photo released by Bolivia's Presidency Press Office, Bolivia's President Evo Morales signs a decree allowing the takeover of shares in Empresa de Electricidad de La Paz (Electropaz) and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera at the government palace in La Paz, Bolivia, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. The decree read by Morales also calls for Iberdrola to receive indemnification after an independent firm is hired within 180 days to determine the value of the nationalized shares. Bolivia's Vice President Alvaro Garcia Linera is pictured at left. (AP Photo/Presidency Press Office, Jose Lirauze)
Military police stand guard outside Transportadora de Electricidad belonging to Spanish company Red Electrica in La Paz, Bolivia, Saturday, Dec. 29. 2012. Bolivia's President Evo Morales nationalized the company in May, which controlled 74 percent of energy transmission in Bolivia. Morales nationalized electricity distribution subsidiaries of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola, Saturday, and issued a decree allowing the takeover of shares in Empresa de Electricidad de La Paz (Electropaz) and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), which supply energy in the Andean nation. (AP Photo/Juan Karita)
The exterior of Spanish energy company Iberdrola is seen, in Madrid, Spain, Saturday, Dec. 29, 2012. President Evo Morales has nationalized electricity distribution subsidiaries of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola. Morales issued a decree Saturday allowing the takeover of shares in Empresa de Electricidad de La Paz (Electropaz) and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), which supply energy in the Andean nation. Soldiers guarded the installations of the electricity distribution companies, marked with signs reading: "Nationalized". (AP Photo/Andres Kudacki)
LA PAZ, Bolivia (AP) ? President Evo Morales nationalized the Bolivian electricity distribution subsidiaries of the Spanish energy company Iberdrola in a public ceremony Saturday.
Morales issued a decree allowing the takeover of shares in Empresa de Electricidad de La Paz (Electropaz) and Empresa de Luz y Fuerza de Oruro (Elfeo), which supply energy in this Andean nation.
Soldiers guarded the installations of the electricity distribution companies, marked with signs reading: "Nationalized."
In the ceremony at Bolivia's government palace, Morales also announced the expropriation of an investment management company and a service provider belonging to the Spanish energy giant.
Morales said he had "been forced to take this step" to ensure that electric service rates remain "equitable" in the regions of La Paz and Oruro.
The Spanish government said in a statement that it regretted Bolivia's decision to nationalize companies that included "Spanish, Argentine and American companies among its shareholders."
Spain said it hoped "the process of assessing the value of the nationalized company is done with high standards of objectivity that would establish the just compensation to which shareholders are entitled."
Telephone calls and emails seeking comment from Iberdrola in Spain were not immediately answered.
The decree read by Morales calls for Iberdrola to receive indemnification after an independent firm is hired within 180 days to determine the value of the nationalized shares.
Morales in May also nationalized Transportadora de Electricidad belonging to Spanish company Red Electrica, which controlled 74 percent of energy transmission in Bolivia.
In his first year in office in 2006, the Bolivian president nationalized the oil industry through a renegotiation of contracts with a dozen oil companies, including Repsol, Petrobras, BG and Total.
In 2009 Morales transferred to state control the country's largest telephone operator, which had been controlled by Italy's ETI, and in 2010 he did the same with the four largest power generators, which had belonged to French-owned Suez, Rurelec of Britain and Bolivian shareholders.
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Associated Press writer Harold Heckle in Madrid contributed to this report.
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