The contributions of San Cristobal Mine

A world's great mine located at a height of 4,000 meters

Bolivia is on the opposite side of the world from Japan. Surprisingly few people in Japan realize that a group of their compatriots have gone to this distant land, which takes two days to reach even by plane, and are hard at work for the community in which they live. Actually there are many Bolivians who respect Japan as a country and greatly like the Japanese people, and the contributions made by these Japanese may be one of the reasons for the friendly relations.

They are residing at a gigantic mine ranking third in the world in silver output and sixth in zinc. This is the San Cristobal Mine, which is boosting growth of the Bolivian economy and accounts for a sizeable share of the country's exports. The mine has also attracted attention within the country because of the jobs it is generating. Seen from Japan's side, San Cristobal Mine is source of stable imports of silver, zinc, and lead, and it is making an indirect contribution to a wide range of Japanese industries, notably automobiles, construction, shipbuilding, and consumer electronics.

Originally a U.S. company was the owner of the mine. In 2006 Sumitomo Corporation acquired a 35% stake in it, and now it wholly owns it. San Cristobal was an attractive target for Sumitomo, which is actively seeking to invest in first-class mining projects.

It was back in the sixteenth century when the Potosí silver mines were discovered and became famous as a source of wealth for the Spanish colonizers. Ever since that time the local people have viewed mines as operations that dig up wealth to be carried off to foreign corporations and that rarely do much toward making the lives of the Bolivians better. Those who are engaged in the development of the country's underground resources today need to take due note of this unfortunate past and assume responsibility for the local residents and the people of Bolivia in general. In this light, mining development must not be seen as a matter of just digging up ore but should be pursued with a view to enhancing Bolivia's future. The refrain one constantly hears on speaking with the Sumitomo personnel involved in the mining project is this: "We want to do work that is beneficial to the Bolivian people."

Next＞＞＞　For the continuous growth of Bolivia