Economy & Business - October 2006

The government's reaction to a confrontation between cooperative and private sector miners at Posokoni at Huanuni was to announce that the mining industry would be nationalised. The confrontation over two days left 16 people dead. The confrontation also led to a change of command at the mining ministry: Guillermo Dalence, replaced Walter Villaroel, himself a former leader of the national federation of cooperative miners. Dalence made his career in the miners' union.