Operation in the Madre de Dios River leaves 49 apprehended for illegal mining exploitation; residents surrounded the police contingent

A police intelligence group and the Bolivian Navy carried out a surprise operation this Friday in the Madre de Dios River, on the border between the departments and Beni, which left a balance of 49 people apprehended charged with the illegal extraction of gold.

The Minister of Government, Eduardo Del Castillo, stated that a couple of months ago they received information and documentation of the illegal mining work that would be carried out in this area, for which reason the complaint was activated in the city of La Paz, which was received.

He pointed out that upon arrival at the place, the contingent found the people red-handed working on the banks and in the river, in addition, he assured that they did not have any permit to operate and used chemicals harmful to human and ecosystem health.

Police and military from the Bolivian Navy, together with personnel from the La Paz Departmental Prosecutor’s Office and the Forestry and Environmental Preservation Police (Pofoma), illegal mining activities on the banks of this river intervened.

Once these people were reduced, the uniformed officers proceeded to the burning of barges, the seizure of firearms, ammunition, mercury and material for washing gold.

Del Castillo qualified as “one of the largest operations against mining”however, the inhabitants of the region branded government intervention as abuse. They expressed that they were gassed by the same uniformed officers “for no reason.”

“Unfortunately we have suffered abuses by the authorities, we have experienced the explosion of rafts that were under concession, with authorization and legally constituted. They have exploded, they did not give a reason, they did not want to explain to us. It is a pity, approximately between 30 and 35 rafts were exploited in the river”, affirmed one of the rafters in statements to the digital newspaper Riberalteño.

After this intervention, a group of community members they surrounded the police contingent where the same Minister of Government was. Some cut down trees to prevent the passage of the troops and to prevent their companions from being taken away.

Due to this fact, EL DEBER confirmed that a group of soldiers from Santa Cruz were on their way to intervene in this area, by air and ground, in order to clear the blocked routes. Finally, both the mobilized and the policemen reached an agreement.

The 49 apprehended were transferred from the Madre de Dios River to the airportd Hannibal Arab, of Pandoto be taken to the seat of Government where they will be placed before a precautionary judge.

Until the closing of this edition, the website Chuturubí Noticias reported from the airport Captain selin zeitun from Riberalta that many people arrived on motorcycles before the arrival of a contingent of soldiers. In addition, relatives remained in the place, looking for news of the apprehended, since there was contradictory information, they did not know where they were, if in the Pando or Riberalta air terminal. Some waited peacefully, but others made feints of forcing their way onto the court and throwing jones.