“For the communities, mining means development,” said Ramiro Mayta, the director of Apolobamba.

Source: https://southafricatoday.net/environment/in-a-bolivian-protected-area-torn-up-for-gold-focus-is-on-limiting-damage/

It holds a vast array of ecosystems, from the 6,000-meter (20,000-foot) peaks of the Cordillera de Apolobamba, to the high plateau at around 4,000 m (13,000 ft) and tropics that spill down to 600 m (2,000 ft) above sea level.

Source: https://southafricatoday.net/environment/in-a-bolivian-protected-area-torn-up-for-gold-focus-is-on-limiting-damage/

Suches, which lies within the Apolobamba protected area along the border with Peru, is where the open-pit boom began and where mining is still the most intense.

Source: https://southafricatoday.net/environment/in-a-bolivian-protected-area-torn-up-for-gold-focus-is-on-limiting-damage/

The canteen at a mining cooperative encampment in Apolobamba.

Source: https://southafricatoday.net/environment/in-a-bolivian-protected-area-torn-up-for-gold-focus-is-on-limiting-damage/