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Riot police in La Paz, Bolivia, have moved to disperse a demonstration by miners demanding new government licenses for gold mining in areas that environmentalists want to protect. Clashes erupted as the miners from the Federation of Gold Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia (Fecmabol) declared an indefinite strike, marched through the streets of La Paz, and attempted to occupy the headquarters of the National Service for Protected Areas (Sernap) and the government's mining authority. In response, the police protected several institutions.
Fecmabol has presented a list of demands, which include the issuance of new mining licenses in areas that conservationists argue should be preserved. They are also protesting a new law that imposes a 4.8 percent tax on gross sales. The government has expressed openness to dialogue but has not confirmed a meeting with the protesters' representatives.
Bolivia is a significant exporter of gold, with 53.3 tons of gold valued at over $2.5 billion exported in 2021, according to official statistics. This clash highlights the ongoing tensions between miners seeking to expand their activities and conservationists advocating for the protection of vulnerable ecosystems.
Rocket Parrot will continue to monitor the situation in La Paz to see how soon normalcy is restored and the effort put into addressing the plight of the miners.
