Heavy metal pollution such as mercury, lead, arsenic, and cadmium, resulting from mining activities in Bolivia, is wreaking havoc on the health of the indigenous peoples and their territories.
Facing this critical situation, representatives of affected communities went to Congress seeking justice and urgent measures to address the environmental and health problems they are facing.
The impact of mining on the environment is profound. As the extracted metals disrupt the ecological balance when removed from natural deposits, issues such as soil degradation, deforestation, and water and air pollution arise.
This deterioration directly affects communities such as those in San Agustín de Puñaca (Oruro), Cantumarca (Potosí), and indigenous populations of Cpilap (La Paz).
### Alarming Cases of Pollution in Bolivia
Prudencio Poma, an indigenous authority of the Ayllu San Agustín de Puñaca, shared in a hearing at the Chamber of Deputies how Lake Poopó, once rich in biodiversity, is now salty and contaminated due to decades of mining activities. This transformation not only altered the ecosystem but also destroyed agriculture, livestock, and fishing, which were the population’s livelihood.
In the case of Cantumarca, in Potosí, blood tests conducted on 120 people indicated that 85% of the residents had elevated levels of lead in their blood. In northern La Paz, tests on over 300 people from indigenous communities such as the Ese Ejjas and Tsimanes revealed that 74.5% had mercury levels up to seven times higher than international standards permit.
These alarming results were corroborated by additional studies in San Agustín de Puñaca, where 100% of the residents analyzed had arsenic concentrations higher than those recommended by the European Union.
The presence of heavy metals in the residents’ bodies reveals a systemic problem: the failure to comply with the judgments that indigenous peoples obtained after filing legal claims. In all the mentioned cases, favorable rulings were obtained ordering reparations and preventive measures, but the resolutions have not been implemented.
### Demands and Calls to Action
Since 2022, the affected communities have joined forces, forming a bloc to demand compliance with court judgments and the creation of effective solutions. Their requests include:
– Immediate compliance with court judgments: state institutions must implement the ordered environmental rehabilitation plans.
– Environmental emergency fund: allocated for the comprehensive repair of contaminated territories and compensating affected individuals.
– Preventive measures: prohibition of new mining concessions in sensitive areas, monitoring existing environmental liabilities, and ensuring the rehabilitation of contaminated water.
– Specialized medical care: to treat people intoxicated by heavy metals, along with implementing permanent public policies for the affected.
In Cantumarca, for example, the closure of the tailings dams of Laguna Pampa I and II, responsible for spreading pollutants to nearby communities, was ordered. However, despite the deadline for compliance with the judgment expiring in June 2024, the measures have not yet been implemented.
Similarly, in the case of Cpilap, the rehabilitation of fish in affected rivers such as Beni and Madre de Dios was mandated, along with criminal investigations for pollution, but these provisions have not progressed either.
### Reflection and the Need for Environmental Justice
The crisis faced by these communities is not only a reflection of the impacts of unregulated mining but also of the lack of political will to protect vulnerable populations.
In addition to the immediate health and environmental damages, these situations generate distrust in institutions and perpetuate cycles of poverty and inequality.
The situation of indigenous peoples affected by mining in Bolivia highlights the urgent need to take concrete actions to ensure environmental justice and protect human rights.
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