MercoPress. South Atlantic News Agency

“Fragile” truce between Bolivian miners factions

A “fragile truce” was holding Saturday following a two days deadly dynamite battle between rival groups of Bolivian miners while President Evo Morales fired his Mines minister and the head of the country's Mining Company, Comibol.

The official death toll rose to 21, and over 50 seriously wounded after government employed miners and members of independent mining cooperatives fought with dynamite, knives, sticks and stones on Thursday and Friday at the Huanuni mine, one of the world's largest tin mines in Oruro province, 300 kilometers south of La Paz.

Presidential minister Juan Ramon Quintana call on both sides to "consolidate the truce" which was reached following the mediation of the Catholic Church, Human Rights organizations, the country's ombudsman and police officers.

Hundreds of riot police carrying batons and shields, supported by Army troops, arrived to quell the fighting that started after miners from cooperatives stormed the mine demanding more concessions to exploit tin ore from the mine in which both unionized and independent cooperatives work .

Opposition lawmakers called for the removal of Minister Walter Villaroel who was replaced Friday evening by Guillermo Dalence. President Morales also sacked Comibol president Juan Cabrera and named Hugo Miranda.

Earlier on Friday, hundreds of independent miners in hard hats, many crouched in the rocky hillsides overlooking Huanuni, tossed lit dynamite sticks at rival state employed workers guarding mine entrances.

Some 1.200 government employed miners and 4.000 independent miners work at Huanuni, which produces 10.000 tons of tin a year, slightly more than half Bolivia's total production. Once a pillar of Bolivia's economy the mining industry drastically contracted during the eighties as pits were closed and miners left redundant following sagging international prices for minerals.

But as prices rebounded and climbed in the nineties laid-off miners started working the idle mines themselves and eventually formed powerful independent cooperatives now fighting for more control over Bolivia's rich minerals. President Morales during his campaign promised to help the industry recover its lost significance and was supported by both groups.

"We're willing to dialogue and call for a truce because children are crying and families begging for peace", said Santos Ramirez, leader of the cooperative miners.

"The government must admit that the conflict is not new and was warned several times of its imminence and violence on several times", underlined Alfredo Aguilar from the Comibol unionized workers.

International tin traders said prices could begin increasing sharply as supplies are squeezed by the violence and "fragile truce" in Bolivia.