Indigenous Bolivians are facing increased violence and displacement due to protests against environmental degradation and cultural threats posed by mining operations in Acre Antequera.
Maxwell Radwin reports for Mongabay.
In short:
- Mining operations in Acre Antequera, largely foreign-controlled, have depleted local water sources and led to significant desertification, impacting traditional agricultural practices.
- Violence against activists, particularly women, has escalated, including attacks with dynamite and social ostracism, as they advocate against the mining's environmental and social impacts.
- Local judicial responses have been inadequate, with requests for protection and justice largely ignored, prompting calls for international human rights intervention.
Key quote:
"They realize that there isn’t the same amount of water anymore, that their food is being contaminated with waste from mining activity."
— Carol Ballesteros, Assembly for Forests and Life
Why this matters:
In the lush forests of Acre Antequera, indigenous Bolivians find themselves at a dangerous crossroads. The mounting pressures of mining operations threaten not only the environmental sanctity of their ancestral lands but also pose grave risks to their cultural heritage and physical safety. Recent protests by these indigenous communities spotlight a desperate attempt to halt the degradation, which has escalated into violence and forced displacement, drawing international concern.
Be sure to read EHN’s 2016 piece about mining in the Midwest: Michigan proposes approval for controversial Upper Peninsula mine near sacred tribal sites.
