Paraguay: Conflict erupts over gold mining
Published by MAC on 2010-07-24Source: ABC, EFE
The Paraguayan newspaper ABC has been reporting on conflicts between artisanal gold miners in Paso Yobai, Paraguay and the Canadian company Latin American Minerals.
Also on May 29 EFE reported that a thousand residents of Paso Yobai occupied, for a few days, the company's mining camp and office building.
The small scale miners, who have been engaged for decades in the search for gold, demand 1,500 hectares within the area be granted to them by the company, so they can continue their activity.
Paso Yobai project could become the first industrial gold mine in Paraguay in more than 150 years.
Previous MAC post: Corporate and smallscale miners vie for gold in Paraguay (2008)
Gold mining generates conflict in Paso Yobai
ABC (Paraguay)
3 June 2010
About 300 artisanal miners invaded the office of Latin American Mineral in Paso Yobai after their leaders held a meeting with officials of a national Ministry. The miners were camped outside the offices of the company for several days. This is a group that has been asking the company Latin American Minerals Paraguay (LAMPA) to give them about 1,500 hectares within the granted area to the company, so that they can mine for gold.
The company president Juan Carlos Benitez said that they are in the final stages of constructing a mining plant. Benitez added that the company withdrew staff from the area for 22 days due to violent threats from protesters. Lampa, meanwhile, stepped up its security with more private personnel and police.