Pando: Illegal mining in the Manuripi Amazon Reserve | Minería ilegal en Reserva Amazónica Manuripi

By Erbol, El Diario:

Illegal mining activity confirmed in the Manuripi Amazon Reserve

The photo shows the presence of illegal mining in the Reserve. PHOTO: PANDO GOVERNOR’S OFFICE

The governor of Pando, Regis Richter, confirmed yesterday the presence of “illegal mining activity” within the Manuripi Amazonian Wildlife National Reserve, a nationally protected area located in the heart of the Bolivian Amazon.

In a statement on his social media platform Facebook, the departmental authority explained that he visited the area last weekend after learning about denouncements “widely shared on social networks and in the media.”

Accompanied by a multidisciplinary team, Richter entered the reserve via the Madre de Dios River. During the inspection, he reported confirming the presence of mining rafts operating irregularly in this key ecosystem, renowned for its extraordinary natural wealth and importance as an environmental heritage for Bolivia and the world.

“The Manuripi Reserve is an invaluable heritage. In compliance with current environmental regulations, we have filed the necessary denouncements and will not cease our efforts to ensure its protection and conservation,” the departmental authority stated.

In a report by the Unitel network, community members alleged that the current director of the protected area, Denis Navarro, may have granted permission for gold exploitation. Residents of the Tacana community reported that around 120 rafts arrived from Riberalta (Beni) last December to “settle in the natural reserve and begin its destruction.”

In a video released by Pando’s Secretariat of Mother Earth, it was reported that when the commission arrived in the area, no individuals were found. (Erbol)

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