El Diario reports:
INE published data
Minimum economic contribution of cooperatives
The National Statistics Institute (INE) revealed that mining cooperatives and small ones contributed to Gross Domestic Product (GDP) with just 2.2 percent between January and May 2016.
During this period, these two sectors have produced 58,692 metric tons of fine zinc concentrates; the total exploitation of this mineral to this year is 194,243 fine metric tons, thus representing 30.2% of the total exploited in the reference period.
CONCENTRATES
Regarding the production of concentrate Plata, 154 of a total of 581 fine metric tons are produced by mining girl and cooperatives; this means that produces 26.5% of the total.
As for lead concentrates, between January and May 2016, the mining cooperatives and small mining ventures produced 7,177 fine metric tons totaling 36,696, representing 19.6%.
The contribution of the small mining activity and of the mining cooperatives to the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) in the first quarter of 2016 was estimated to be 2.2%.
COOPERATIVISTS
In the 2015 Household Survey of the National Statistics Institute (INE), about 20 thousand people living in rural areas (towns of 2,000 or more inhabitants), declared to be under cooperative production; this group is primarily concerned with mining cooperatives, and others, such as agricultural with a minority stake.
The number of people registered with the Ministry of Labor, Employment and Social Security is not significant, as only 82 workers are registered as employees of mining cooperatives.
It is completely absurd to watch such tiny contribution but yet, so humongous pressure the mining cooperatives have in Bolivian politics.
Of course, it has certainly happened as the coca grower leader, turned president, had made an alliance with them to become president. Of course he gave too much power to the mining sector, to have these people blockading streets and roads, full with dynamite, of course this happened … yet the “alliance” is almost broke by now …
Who is the victim: the people of Bolivia!
Now, we hear coca growers threatening to go out in the roads, to engage and destroy the cooperative miners … old allies turned into enemies … these miners want the same “benefits” as the coca growers … more power, political clout to do as they wish … Somalia is resembling more and more to become our future,under this government!
Bolivian Thoughts 