IN STEREO

I think a lot depends on us, the population that lives here and of Bolivia in general. I think we have to compete; we have to excel somehow to really preserve it. I think that in our case, they are going to say, “No more.” I think it is in our hands. It’s just a piece of paper that says who should deal with the matter. It is the population. And our authorities – without corruption. Because I believe that there is a fund UNESCO gives, to preserve the mountain. I don’t know, maybe I am wrong. Once I read in a newspaper that [UNESCO] gave many millions to preserve the Cerro Rico. They spent it in that refill. But then I think, “Who is distributing that money?” I know those funds have come, but I see what our authorities do with it. Their ideas are bad, maybe. There are more concrete solutions. That is what’s missing. For me, as a citizen here: look for serious alternatives to these mining mountains and that’s it, isn’t it? Stop working.

Maybe they can work in other areas, but [they must] leave where they are now. Take these people to another sector of the mountain and not to that place where it is deteriorating. Take them to other corners. But we would have to hire some technical specialists, like geologists and mining engineers, to guide [us to] where there may already be these deposits around the mountain. Some parts are still there. There are places to finish up. They have to do a technical study, because our cooperative mining colleagues do everything rudely, rustically, empirically. And that has to coordinate with the authorities, with the president, with the deputies who are from this sector, the senators. We could relocate the miners more specifically, technically. I know that they make a living out of it, so relocate them. – Lorenzo