bolivians drive out australian miners

May 15, 2009 - 7:14AM
The indigenous community in Bolivia's Potosi region has forced the Australian mining company Republic Gold to abandon a gold-mining venture in the country's southeast, a company spokeswoman says.

Republic Gold's representative Esther Jiton told Bolivia's La Razon newspaper that indigenous Quechua people in the town of Chayantakas had issued threats against the local head of the Australian firm, John Kelly, forcing him to sign a document agreeing to abandon efforts to seek gold ore in the area's Amayapampa mine.

"It was a document signed under extreme duress, with threats against his life," said Jiton on Thursday.

Inhabitants of the region are said to be worried about possible environmental damage from mining, according to reports.

The newspaper added that Republic Gold had already invested $US14 million ($A18.6 million) in the mining venture, which had been run earlier by Luzon Minerals.