Local Tupizan community member, Erin Kang, claims that the government brokers between the Tupizans who are not part of the Esmeralda Energy Company. Despite close relations to the government, Kang says, "We don't feel like we're Latininians."
In the past five years, the Esmeralda Energy Company has belabored community relations in hopes to woo the native population. Esmeralda employees have upgraded one hospital, built one clinic, began construction of another and, for the first time, helped bring Tupiza's first resident doctor. They have worked to build roads, opened two schools and replied quickly to compensation claims for the rental of land and damage to crops without a fuss.
Despite widespread efforts at placating community opposition, the boom in business for Esmeralda has brought a host of social problems. While the prevalence of HIV/AIDS in Latininia in 2004 was at 0.1%, the figure has soared particularly in the Tupiza community as migrant workers spread disease and brought on a proliferation of prostitution.
Tupizans make up 30% of the current Esmeralda Energy Company's union. Negotiations are underway with the Tupizan community at large over Esmeralada has offered 1k% of their construction budget. The Tupizans are demanding a minimum of 25%.
If Esmeralda left, claims Kang, "we would go back to our old ways of living, because those workers will move out again." At 1:45pm, los Radicales scheduled closed-door meetings with the Tupizans.
According to Kang, Tupizans are crying for an international spotlight on the environmental problems and, in a controversial stance, barriers to the production of coca for local purposes. "We just make tea and mix," claims Kang, saying that at such a high altitude, Tupizans use coca to chew on. They lack the technology to produce cocaine. The New York based NGO, Humanity First, recently told the Patriot that the coca being developed in the Tupizan community is not of sufficient grade for cocaine production.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment