MINING

Mining and petroleum, legally, have taken precedence over everything, including human needs in Bolivia. This is the case within national parks as well. There are many mining concessions within the Madidi Mosaic and gold is being extracted in both the most rudimentary way as well as by larger mining companies.

There is very little supervision of these mining processes and contamination, particularly with mercury, is quite extensive. Most miners are quite poor and work with a great deal of risk. If they were offered safer jobs, they would be quite willing to change their activities.

We have developed tourism routes in areas where these mining activities exist. The former government in Bolivia paralyzed these activities, but we hope to renew them in the future.