A recently published report reveals the horrendous saga of gold miners in the Peruvian Andes. La Rinconada, home to some 50,000 to 70,000 mining inhabitants and competing mafia mobs that control them. La Rinconada, in the Peruvian Andes is where the world’s highest, chaotic, poisonous and illegal goldmines are found. La Rinconada, is also considered one of the most horrific places on earth: a crime gang-run city, spreading through a valley and up the hills, no running water, no sewerage, no electricity grid.
La Rinconada looks and smells like a wide-open garbage dump, infested by a slowly meandering yellowish-brownish mercury-contaminated brew which is tailings from illegal gold mining, what used to be a pristine mountain lake. The thin, oxygen-poor air is loaded with mercury vapor that slowly penetrates people’s lungs, affecting over time the nervous system, memory, body motor, leading often to paralysis and early death. Average life expectancy of a mine worker is 30-35 years, about half of Peruvian’s average life expectancy.
Life has no value. People are killed for carrying a rock that may contain some tiny veins of gold. Bodies are often just thrown on to garbage heaps to rot. Occasionally a body is found and then buried right on the garbage dump. It’s not unusual to find a grave right in the midst of a field of trash. Human rights do not exist in Rinconada. Child labor is common place. And so is child prostitution, women and drug trafficking. Time off is a life of drunkenness and drug deliria. Life is worthless.
Small boys are used to work in underground mining galleries, where adults hardly fit. When the galleries collapse and a child or several children, dies, nobody cares. Many are not even identified. Most likely they are not missed. They are children of non-parents, like in non-humans, those that run this hellish mining industry, and those who send their children there to help them make a living. No love, no ethics, no respect for nothing but the legendary gold nugget, for greed and necessity. No mercy. That’s La Rinconada.
Miners come voluntarily. Nobody forces them. Most are poor. Some are just greedy – the never-dying ‘Gold Rausch’ attracts them. The dream of getting rich in the goldmine makes them accept the most horrendous working and living conditions: surviving in an open dump-ground of everything, garbage, toxic heavy metals, wading in mercury-polluted tailings, thin air, contaminated by poisonous vapors, no heating, most of the year sub-freezing temperatures with trash and debris everywhere.
But the miners don’t complain. Some bring their wives, few bring also their kids. It’s their choice. Some stay ‘temporarily’ only, 6 months, 12 months, 2 years? For some the dream of hitting the riches never dies; they stay until they die. They know they will be abused, enslaved. They know, they can take it or leave it.
Miners work for usually long hours and are working during 29 days for free. On the 30th day they may keep whatever they take out of the ground, amounting to about $250 – $320 per month. Sometimes day 30 brings nothing. Sometimes some rocks with traces of gold. All are hoping for a gold nugget. This type of mining wage is not unique to Peru. Bolivia and other Andean countries that are open to the most environmentally and socially destructive industry – mining – apply similar systems.
The illusion to hit it “BIG” by finding the legendary ‘gold rock’ is a passion; it is obsessive. And if and when a miner does find a treasure to keep, he is vulnerable of being robbed, even killed, body discarded – another miner gone missing. Or not. Just disappeared. Maybe in a garbage dump. They are endless in Rinconada. They reflect the character of Rinconada. Refuse, waste, stench and death.
Nobody cares or not enough to investigate the death, the missing. It’s the name of the game. Miners come by their free will. They are not coerced. They enslave themselves, in the vane hope to get rich. Instead, they intoxicate themselves from mercury fumes, from a totally poisonous environment, daily exposure to heavy metals. Their nervous system slowly but surely fails them. Memory loss; brain damage, muscular dystrophy, collapsing lungs, paralysis, early death. For many, it’s a dream gone dead. That’s what poverty does; it kills while dreaming of a better world.
In Rinconada, the mafia rules. Police work in connivance. Murders and assassinations are of the order. Prostitution, alcohol and drug abuse is rampant. Nobody cares. It’s survival of the fittest, and often survival succumbs to hardship, misery and yet hope for a better life. These criminal organizations are all local, meaning from the vicinity. No foreign mining companies are allowed. They, huge world (in)famous gold and precious metals corporations, are waiting ‘downstream’ to buy the blood-ware, without identity, without origins. So that nobody can trace them to the crime.
Women generally do not work in the mines. Superstition. They bring bad luck. They make the gold veins disappear. They distract the men. The mines are masculine. Only men are allowed to work them. The mountains may get jealous, and who knows what jealousy is capable of doing. Women have other chores. They collect loose rocks that may contain some remnants of gold; they clean, prepare food, mind the household, children, if a family is unwise enough to bring their offspring to this hellhole and, they are “taking care of the men”, in more ways than one.
Peter Koenig, an economist and geopolitical analyst stressed that La Rinconada is one of the most horrible places on earth. Hardly known to the rest of the world. According to Peter Koenig, most people in Lima, the capital of Peru, have no idea that Rinconada exists, and if they have heard the name, they associate it with a lush country club in the elite district of “La Molina” of Lima. They don’t know what it also stands for – The Devil’s Paradise. Peter Koenig strongly noted that what Rinconada produces is “blood gold”, akin to blood diamonds, blood emeralds in other parts of the world.
If this is the case, then, who buys this “blood gold? We will discuss it next week.
The Horrendous Saga of Gold Miners in Peru’s Andes
Sheger derby returns: Ethiopia Coffee Vs Saint George
The 23rd week end Ethiopian Premier League fixture brings the country’s biggest derby match: Ethiopia Coffee versus Saint George clash while Hawassa to face Sidama Coffee in Debub derby today. Defending champions Jimma AbaJifar travels north to visit in good form Welwalo-Adigrat.
More to fans theatre than the real football Ethiopia Coffee entertains city rival Saint George in a decisive Sheger derby match. Back from 1-0 away defeat to Adama, Ethiopia Coffee is in search of its recent time first ever derby match victory over Saint George that Popped out for third in the table after a huge 1-0 home victory over league leaders Mekele Town on Tuesday. Third in the table and trailing the top spot eight points behind, today is a crucial match to Giorgis to stay on track while 8th in the table with 32 points; Ethiopia Coffee needs victory to win back the diehard supporters that are in sheer frustration following their team’s poor performance this season.
Their number one striker with nine goals in his name Abubakar Naser for four matches suspension, ”The Brown Shirts” under make shift Coach Gezahne Town are expected to face difficulties to find the back of the net thus unlikely to go home with three points.
Fourth in the table Sidama Coffee visits in poor form Hawassa in the famous Debub derby match today. Back from 1-0 defeat to AbaJifar and slipping from second place, leading scorer Addis Gdey’s spearhead Sidama need a win by all means to stay in the title race while the home side to compensate for the shocking 4-0 away defeat last Tuesday.
7th in the table with 33 points Welwalo Adigrat hosts in top form defending champion Jimma AbaJifar. Famous for its defense line Welwalo faces back-in to-business Okiki Afolabi in action therefore a huge showdown expected on Monday.
Saint George in fierce title contention
A final minute winning goal from a spot kick Saint George joined the fierce Ethiopian Premier League title race. The Horse Riders currently share the third spot collecting same 32 points but in goal differences.
Though a much needed three points that slashed Mekele’s lead in to five points thus left the title race in to wide open, but many club supporters are unhappy with English Coach Stewart Hall. Short of refreshing ideas to make the better use of his squads Hall managed to shut out the lonely destroyer Ammanuel G/Kidan thus the narrow home victory brought home more than three points.
Of course the visitors were hardly up to expectation thus Saint George dominated both in possession and creating goal chances. But with all golden chances flew in to thin air, central defender Aschalew Tamene converted the winning goal from a spot kick just four minutes in to the final whistle.
With the win Saint George closed the gap between the title contenders as well slashing the leaders eight point in to five with second place Fasil Town. “It was a tough showdown but we happened to be the one to go home with all three points” Stewart Hall remarked. Mekele Coach Gebremedin Haile also suggested that he is not convinced for the last minute penalty. “This is Saint George’s’ seventh penalty so far in the season while the first for us” Gebre stated.
With eight fixtures to go, title favorite Mekele Town need to stay focused on every single match for the fixtures against: title contender Sidama Coffee, in good form Jimma AbaJifar and popular side Ethiopia Coffee which are all away matches and intriguing. Fasil Town lurking five points behind and Saint George breathing hot from far, it is a real testing time for Gebremedin on his way to became the recent time first ever Premier League Coach with back to back title.
What do you see?
With the economic growth our country is going through there are many new opportunities coming our way. And for those of us who are lucky enough to travel abroad, we come across businesses that can be done here as well, be it in an adapted form and within the boundaries of our own context.
The question is, do we recognise the opportunity? And when we recognise the opportunity, do we consider taking it? I see many of us do and I see some taking the risk. And then some succeed while others fail. Taking calculated risks, based on a sound feasibility study and risk analysis, supported by competent financial institutions is critical though. Sometimes an opportunity passes, and a new opportunity may not come again for some time. Sometimes we miss opportunities because we are afraid to take the risk, or we don’t have the confidence that we have the capacity to handle the challenges.
Ask a class of six-year olds who can sing, and all will raise their hands at once. Ask a group of adults the same and most will hesitate. Perhaps one or two will come forward, still doubting whether they can sing indeed. So, what happens between the time we were young – when we were spontaneous and ready to take on anything even if we have never done it before – and the time we have grown older? Somewhere down the road called life, we get discouraged, we fail and are afraid to make mistakes. People tell us: “You can’t do that, that’s impossible!”
Ever noticed how a one year old tries to walk, falls, stands up and tries again? Ever seen that smile on her face when she made the first few steps? But soon after that the adults come in and, in their desire, to protect the child from hurting herself, they discourage her: “Don’t do that. Don’t go there. You will fall. You will hurt yourself!” And so, many of us grow up, discouraged, with little self confidence, and little experience in taking a risk, trying something new, learning, falling and getting up again.
I have observed much of the same in the business environment here. When somebody has an original idea, wants to try something new, something out of the ordinary, is about to take a risk, there is more often negative feed back than encouragement. And as people here rely much on the advice and council of close ones, the risk is rarely taken. Thus, many opportunities are lost. It seems saver to do what others are doing also, copy what seems to work for others. But without having the original idea, without having a vision for success, this road will only take us to mediocrity or failure. Beware that the ones that are successful are the ones who dared to take a risk, a calculated risk that is, …….. and work hard, very hard, to make it happen. Which brings me to another interesting observation. Many people believe that once you are in business, money will be made just like that. You start a business and you drive a Merc, build a house, travel the world. Not without hard work, you don’t. When a new business begins to pick up, returns often need to be reinvested immediately to be able to manage the growth. More workers need to be hired, more equipment is required, more production is needed to meet the growing demand. No time yet to buy a new car or pay more salary to yourself. It normally takes a few years before you can really pick the fruits of the work.
Those who recognise an opportunity and are willing to take the risk, work hard and reinvest in their business may succeed, no guarantees though. These days, more and more opportunities seem to come our way, as the trends in development cooperation all seem to support the development of the private sector and a free market economy. New opportunities indeed, or so it seems. For those who produce for export for example, they need to build enough capacity to produce the quantities normally required by export markets. In addition, producers need to be able to meet quality standards and adjust their products to the ever-changing trends in fashion, colours, shapes and tastes. And then there are issues related to the supply of raw materials and logistics involved in exporting. If the temperature in the cargo section of an aircraft is not kept at the right level, there is big chance that the fresh fruits or vegetables will not survive the journey for instance. So, while the opportunities are appealing, and many producers would like to have a go at it, a lot of work needs to be done. Work that many producers have not learnt enough yet. Learning is what needs to happen, in an environment that is relatively safe. Like the child that learns to walk, with the watchful and encouraging words of the parents. It is here, where donors, development agencies and authorities have a big responsibility. It is not enough for experts to come in and judge that a product is not good enough or too expensive. They need to support the producers in further designing and developing their products. It is not enough to make funds available to develop policy; policy needs to support those who are willing to take a risk. It is not enough to encourage export; the whole supply chain needs to be considered. There are opportunities indeed, but they can only be taken step by step and with integrated support.
Nobody knew how to run before learning how to walk first. And no parent wants to expose a child to danger, while exploring the world and growing up. Instead they encourage, support and guide.
In conclusion I’d encourage the entrepreneur to look out for the opportunities, carefully consider and take a risk, while seeking and getting the required support to make the opportunity reality.
Look out, what do you see|?
Ton Haverkort
