In the high-altitude city of El Alto, Bolivia, families struggle to access clean water, despite living just meters from a major water treatment plant. The prohibitive cost of connection, imposed by a foreign-controlled water company, leaves many residents reliant on unreliable, contaminated wells. This crisis, mirrored in other parts of the world, highlights the growing tension between water as a basic human right and water as a profitable commodity, as global corporations and international financial institutions prioritize market-driven solutions over the urgent needs of vulnerable communities.