By Edgar Piña
They are not those men herding a burrito carrying a pick
and a shovel. They drive big four wheel trucks and run fast in cities, towns,
ranchos, and collective lands here named “ejidos”.
You don’t see them in the town´s general store
purchasing food and tools. Instead they are at government offices activating
bureaucratic processes or in the banks transferring monies.
You can not see them in the bars drinking whisky and
playing cards, but now you see them in the best in town restaurants, and when the
dark comes down in entertainment places.
As in many other countries of Latin America and
Africa, a XXI century gold rush is taking place now in Sonora State, a Mexican
province located in this country´s north western territory. Exactly as in other
gold rushes, the Sonoran locals take advantage of the boom and find jobs, sell
goods and services, and share the proud speech of politicians about the wealthy
mining industry of the province.
In effect, the Sonoran Governor and his aides, while
they are before the TV camera and microphones, look exactly as might have seen
the aboriginal chieftains when the Spanish conquerors traded with them glass
beads for gold nuggets.
The today’s government officials and politicians, like
their ancestors in power, take pride in saying that more than two hundred
foreign companies are investing in Sonoran territory and that the province is
national number one in gold and other metals production.
In the gold rushes of California, Australia, and Canada,
during the last half of the XIX century, the recovered precious metals oiled
the local economies and vigorously boosted the powerful capitalism of those
times.
The contemporary gold rushes invigorate the nowadays
untouchable global financial corporations, which know very well that gold,
silver, platinum, and other rare minerals, are the best insurance against
monetary crisis and economic turmoil.
The reality is thousands of acres contaminated by
chemical residuals; rivers, lakes and lands spoiled; hundreds of animal and
plants species threatened by pollution and destruction of their habitats.
When the mineral deposits are exhausted the exploited
lands look like apocalyptic scenes and the local residents have no option but
to emigrate because no productive activity is possible now where farmlands,
ranches or human settlements were before.
Somebody told me one time that here in Mexico the
mining companies have no options but to adapt their practices to the very
relaxed local regulations in the field of environment protection, workers
security, and labor benefits, to mention a few.
If they insist in complying with laws and standards
the same way as in their own countries, the projects never will run. Reasons?
They say is more profitable for government officials and inspectors to issue
permission and concessions for the companies when these launch a bid under the
table.
If the mineral resources belong to Mexicans, what is
exactly what we are waiting for creating the companies, investing capitals, and
mobilize labor and technology?. According to Sonoran empresarios mentality,
mining industry is unreachable for them. Is technologically operationally, and
managerially complicated. The results are in the long term, and the markets are
very dynamic, so, better leave that to foreigners.
Nothing new under the mining sun in Mexico.
Northamerican and Asian investors take home the valuable precious minerals and
pay with paper. They create wealth for their countries and leave contaminated
soil pits in Sonoran territory. They bribe politicians and government employees
and these have a deceiving and optimistic speech for the rest of us.
It is the XXI century Sonoran Gold Rush.