Bolivia, US to Continue Dialogue

[Judi Lynn]

Source: Prensa Latina

Friday 23 October 2009
Bolivia, US to Continue Dialogue

LA PAZ - Bolivian Foreign Minister David Choquehuanca will be the head of a delegation that will go to the United States to continue meetings intended to reach a new agreement, regarding mutual respectful relations between both countries.

According to Choquehuanca, quoted as saying on Thursday by Bolivian Information Agency, the meeting is scheduled for the end of this month in the United States, with particpation of some national authorities.

In May, La Paz and Washington agreed a new accord regarding bilateral relations, when a high level delegation of the US government, headed by Assistant Secretary of State for Western Hemisphere Affairs Thommas Shannon, was visiting the Andean nation.

The sides agreed to create a commission to speed up extradition of former President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada and his collaborators, who took refuge in the United States and must face a trial for crimes against humanity committed on October, 2003.



Read more: http://insidecostarica.com/dailynews/2009/october/23/latam-091023-03.htm

[Judi Lynn]

1. October 20: Historic Bolivian mine yields widows, misery

Historic Bolivian mine yields widows, misery
By Ayden Fabien Ferdeline, Written for UPI

POTOSI, Bolivia, Oct. 20 (UPI) -- Once one of the largest and wealthiest mining cities in Latin America, Potosi helped to bankroll the Spanish empire for centuries. Now, it claims a different mother lode -- widows.

Legions of indigenous people and African slave laborers were conscripted to work in the mines. Some accounts put the death count in the mines since 1545 at 8 million.

Though geologists say the easy-to-reach deposits are depleted from Cerro Rico, the misery and dying are a stubborn tradition. Miners struggle to extract lingering traces of precious metals in horrific conditions where safety provisions are nearly nonexistent and most shafts lack ventilation.

Laborers, traditionally married men, often die of lung-wrecking silicosis within 10 years of entering the mine.

Ciudades Daves, 26, said she knew her husband would be "dead within years of (their) marriage." He died from dust inhalation five weeks after their wedding.

"I didn’t think he would die so soon," Daves said.

In the Andean city of 135,000, she's part of the Potosi population that tops one tragic South American statistic.

"On a per capita basis, we definitely have the largest number of women whose husbands have died," said Mayor Rene Joaquino. "For Quechua Indians, who are the main inhabitants of Potosi, culture dictates that a woman may never remarry."

More:
http://www.upi.com/Features/Culture_Society/2009/10/21/Historic-Bolivian-mine-yields-widows-misery/12560664758162/

http://www.upi.com.nyud.net:8090/img/upiu/12560664758162/12560664753014/Historic-Bolivian-mine-yields-widows-misery_story_thumb.jpg

Paquesha Lrd, 44, has spent four years in the Potosi
mine, breathing silica dust that “will kill me soon.”

http://www.upi.com.nyud.net:8090/img/upiu/12560664758162/12560664758033/Historic-Bolivian-mine-yields-widows-misery_story_thumb.jpg

About 400 meters into Bolivia's Cerro Rico mine, modern
safety devices and ventilation systems are nonexistent.
Other hazards include explosions, falling rocks and
runaway trolleys.

http://www.upi.com.nyud.net:8090/img/upiu/12560664758162/12560664757890/Historic-Bolivian-mine-yields-widows-misery_story_thumb.jpg

Journalists explore the Potosi mine under a tour

conducted by the Bolivian government. The visitors wear
equipment not available to laborers, although the visitors
were told that "miners have good eyes."

[a la izquierda]

2. You should read...

We Eat the Mines and the Mines Eat us by Nash.

Really messed up.

[Judi Lynn]

3. Appreciate the tip. After seeing your comment, I ordered it, looks very worthwhile. n/t

[Judi Lynn]

4. Was alerted the link is defective: Here's the correct one for this story.

http://www.upiu.com/articles/historic-bolivian-mine-yields-widows-misery

Thanks to Peace Patriot for the help.