March 15, 2023, 7:16 PM
March 15, 2023, 7:16 PM
Both the state miners and the cooperatives seek that a representative of their sector be elected as Minister of Mining and Metallurgyrevealed the general secretary of the Huanuni Mixed Union of Mine Workers, Mario Argollo.
“There are many interests involved in the appointment of the new minister. The cooperative members are also attentive, wanting to put one of their sector and we are in charge of that, and we cannot allow state-owned mining to be managed by the cooperative members”, said the leader in statements to Radio Horizontes.
“We have the mission of protecting this aspect and we will be attentive to what happens,” he added.
On Tuesday, this outlet reported, based on information from sources close to the Ministry of Mining, that Ramiro Villavicencio, head of that portfolio, resigned.
Consulted by this means about this decision, Villavicencio limited himself to responding: “The president (Luis Arce) is the one who reviews this issueto”.
The following day, that State portfolio indicated, through a statement, that Villavicencio “continues to perform functions” and that “the appointment and continuity or not of the ministers is the power of the President.”
The radio of the National Federation of Mining Cooperatives of Bolivia (Fencomin) reported that Alejandro Santos is shaping up for the position as a minister, since he has the support of the cooperative members, the Bolivian Workers Union (COB) and the El Alto Regional Workers Federation (COR).
Santos was a Fencomin executive and belongs to the Porvenir de La Paz Cooperative.
On the side of the state miners, the applicant is Marcelino Quispe, current president of the Mining Corporation of Bolivia (Comibol).
