NewsWhore
05-31-2012, 03:10 PM
Diario Libre is running a series of detailed reports on mining, mining concessions and the potential environmental and social consequences. In today's report, Thursday May 31, they describe how the people of El Dajao, on the frontier between Santiago Rodriguez and Elias Pina provinces, in the shadow of Culo de Maco Mountain are worried about the possible destruction of their way of life. In El Dajao, people live by panning for gold. With a pan in their hand, they go down to the river to scrape up the soil and rinse the rocks, dirt and sand, which sometimes gives them a little gold. The mineral comes in diminutive quantities that the people call "lines." On occasions, when the river decides to be generous, the small pieces can weigh as much as 20 grams (which equals 100 lines).
High up on the top of a mountain, this community of the municipality of Los Almacigos, hides its treasure among great shortages. More than 12 kilometers from asphalt, El Dajao is not served by electricity cables. Therefore, washers, refrigerators or blenders are still luxuries that are only dreamed of by the 88 families living there. When someone gets sick, their relatives have to take them to La Pina, to the nearest health center, and pray that it does not rain and that the river levels are not too high and do not block their way.
Some of the inhabitants of El Dajao combine the search for gold with agriculture and raising livestock, but for the vast majority their daily meals depend on the lines that they can get, and then sell for RD$150, nearly always to the owner of the local colmado who in the past has provided them with food on credit. Aware of the importance of the gold for their subsistence, the neighbors keep watch on strange people who visit the area and who sometimes decide to stay for a few weeks. Nobody has told them about the intentions of these people they call "Americans," but all suspect that they want to take the gold.
On Wednesday, Diario Libre reported on the high cost of mining contamination to farmland and watersheds in the Dominican Republic.
http://www.diariolibre.com/dlenglish/2012/05/31/i338413_the-northwest-does-not-trust-mining-concessions.html
http://www.diariolibre.com/dlenglish/2012/05/30/i338259_mining-necessary-evila.html
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)
High up on the top of a mountain, this community of the municipality of Los Almacigos, hides its treasure among great shortages. More than 12 kilometers from asphalt, El Dajao is not served by electricity cables. Therefore, washers, refrigerators or blenders are still luxuries that are only dreamed of by the 88 families living there. When someone gets sick, their relatives have to take them to La Pina, to the nearest health center, and pray that it does not rain and that the river levels are not too high and do not block their way.
Some of the inhabitants of El Dajao combine the search for gold with agriculture and raising livestock, but for the vast majority their daily meals depend on the lines that they can get, and then sell for RD$150, nearly always to the owner of the local colmado who in the past has provided them with food on credit. Aware of the importance of the gold for their subsistence, the neighbors keep watch on strange people who visit the area and who sometimes decide to stay for a few weeks. Nobody has told them about the intentions of these people they call "Americans," but all suspect that they want to take the gold.
On Wednesday, Diario Libre reported on the high cost of mining contamination to farmland and watersheds in the Dominican Republic.
http://www.diariolibre.com/dlenglish/2012/05/31/i338413_the-northwest-does-not-trust-mining-concessions.html
http://www.diariolibre.com/dlenglish/2012/05/30/i338259_mining-necessary-evila.html
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#5)