PETROLEUM

Many petroleum concessions exist within the Madidi Mosaic. The local population is almost entirely unaware of the potential dangers to the environment through the extraction of petroleum, and the traditional politicians are excited by it because they see it as easy money coming their way because of the petroleum and gas taxes transferred to local governments.

The truth is that there is great environmental risk to the Madidi Mosaic with the exploitation of these resources. Experience in Bolivia has demonstrated that when there have been oil spills, the oil companies have done a slipshod cleanup job at best, and the penalties they were given were extremely lenient.

The other risk is that the roads that would be opened for this extraction would lead to the very heart of the Madidi National Park provoking the influx of an important population to the area, and the destruction of flora and fauna in one of the most important areas in the world in biodiversity.