(14 Jan 1997) Spanish/Nat
A group of eight-thousand Bolivian miners have taken over a zinc and silver mine in the southern city of Potosi to protest against a government privatisation plan.
Under the sell off proposals Pailaviri mine would be sold to a foreign company.
The miners now fear they'll lose their jobs.
It's been four days since a group of eight-thousand miners took over the Pailaviri mine in Cerro Rico in Potosi - 800 kilometers south of the capital, La Paz.
The sound of dynamite breaks the town's peace - a sign to the government that the miners are planning to stay there a long as their demands are met.
The mine is in a standstill and there seems to be no solution to the siege.
The miners - members of a cooperative - took over the mine last Friday to protest against a government privatisation plan.
The government is planning to sell the mine to a foreign company and the miners fear for their future.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
The central government had a commitment. On November 10 they promised that they would hand over the Pailaviri mine to us, but it (government) hasn't honoured that. They've created a private enterprise and that's what we don't want. We don't want private companies here on the hill.
SUPER CAPTION: Felipe Flores, Miner
The government says the new owners would use the latest technology to work the mine.
The miners fear over mining would destroy the tip of the Cerro Rico stripping Potosi of one of its tourist attractions.
They also say they'll lose their jobs.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
We also have the right - as Bolivians - to our sources of work in order to survive and take the daily bread to our children, to our families and if they privatize the hill, where are these people going to work? What's going to happen to our lives?
SUPER CAPTION: Pablo Quispe, President Association of Mining Cooperatives
The authorities refuse to negotiate until the miners leave.
SOUNDBITE: (Spanish)
As the authority we maintain our principle that in order to establish any type of dialogue to reach an agreement, they should stop all measures of pressure.
SUPER CAPTION: Engineer Omar Manzano, Secretary General Potosi's City Hall
The miners want the mine to be run by a cooperative and have vowed to continue their occupation of the site until the authorities address their demands.
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