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LATIN AMERICA |
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Peasants Take
Over Bolivian Gold Mine
LA PAZ – Peasants from Villa Chuquiña in the
southwestern Bolivian province of Oruro took
over a gold mine to demand a share of the
revenues generated by the operation, media
outlets said Wednesday.
The protesters say the operator of the Kori
Kollo mine, Empresa Minera Inti Raymi S.A.,
should compensate them for alleged
environmental damage and for the use of
ancestral lands and should also provide
stable employment for area residents.
The head of security for Inti Raymi at the
mine, Franz Rios, told the state-run news
agency ABI that the peasants “are asking for
exorbitant figures as repayment for the
lands they sold to the company many years
ago.”
He said the peasants were blockading the
production plant, which exploits mainly gold
and dore, a mixture of gold, silver and
copper.
In addition, he said that the firm told the
peasants that “it is not in the position” to
hire more workers since it is planning to
close down some of its operations.
Inti Raymi employs about 1,000 workers in
Kori Kollo who, to avoid conflict, left the
camp, Rios said.
Meanwhile, the Oruro provincial police
reported that they had dispatched officers
to gain control over the situation. EFE |
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