Pablo Solon reports for Pagina Siete:

What will happen to the archaeological heritage of El Bala?

The study by Geodata identified four archaeological sites in the area of the Hydroelectric Project El Bala, is an area of high “archaeological sensitivity”.

According annexes to the environmental document of Chepete obtained by ANF and the Solon Foundation in the region of El Bala, there are engravings carved in stone by ancient peoples who inhabited the region more than two thousand years before Christ.

The study by Geodata have recorded 54 archaeological sites “in the middle basin of the Beni River, mountains of Ixiamas and natural protected areas of Madidi and Pilon Lajas”.

These archaeological sites are varied and not yet determined by chronological dates and cultural association, and Geodata textually states that “with the full understanding of the archaeological landscape of the area, it could be determined that it is of high archaeological sensitivity.”

Four archaeological sites

The current study identified four archaeological sites in the area of the Hydroelectric Project El Bala, Component 1 Angosto del Chepete [narrow site, Chapete]. Figure 1 shows the image of a stone engraved observed in 3.1 x 2.1 meters is located on site 1 Chepete and who would have turned “an important role in the orientation of sailors from the western sector of the River Chepete.”

Sama on site 2 1, which is 300 meters from the mouth of a small stream called Sama, are other stone carvings, one of which is four meters high.

According to the document, “the Sama stream is a permanent channel of water that offers fishing resources and is a whereabouts for hunting. This would explain the representations of wildlife site. The almost exclusive representations of spiral rock A suggests that spirals are a representation closely linked to water, boating or fishing.”

On site 3 Sama 2 is a sandstone rock large, engraved with a linear geometric motif, which may be accompanied by other engravings, but they were covered by the current at the time of registration and at site 4 would be a “petroglyph covered by water, which has said of the local guides, shows a zoomorphic representation poorly conserved.”

Study by Geodata concludes: “Based on the four registered archaeological sites, it could be defined that affecting the archaeological heritage is high, scale 3. Justified all by the presence of sites with moderately preserved petroglyphs (…) still possible evidence are unknown. unregistered sectors in the areas of direct and indirect influence.”

http://www.paginasiete.bo/gente/2016/8/26/que-pasara-patrimonio-arqueologico-bala-107545.html

There is absolutely NO justification to impact the Madidi and Pilon Lajas National Parks, the environmental damage would be disastrous and irreversible!