Residents of South Rupununi villages close to the Marudi goldfields have alleged that some miners have breached an agreement reached earlier this year and have asked government to intervene, the Government Information Agency (GINA) has reported.
According to GINA, junior Minister of Natural Resources Simona Broomes said the residents alleged that signatories were in breach of the agreement. “The Amerindians are complaining that they are not benefiting anything from Marudi (mining operations),” the minister was quoted as saying.
Further, she said, the residents indicated that aside from the breach in the agreement, there have been increased illicit activities such as trafficking in persons and drugs.