The explosive attack was believed to be the result of two mining collective struggles to obtain gold deposits.

The authorities said the conflict between the gold mining operations in Bolivia caused the explosion to kill six people.

Thursday’s explosion shocked Yani mining camp about 150 kilometers (that is, 90 miles) in the country’s administrative capital La Paz.

“Six people died and we have reports of missing people,” said Jhonny Silva, a representative of a mining group involved.

That mining group reportedly quarreled with another group known as Senor de Mayo, a fight filled with explosives to enter the gold mining area. The explosion damaged the house and the town of Sorata was powered.

“They blew up the machinery with explosives,” Silva said of the competitors’ cooperative.

Collectively developed into an alternative to state-owned and private enterprises in Bolivia. Critics accuse those large corporations of providing unstable employment for low-income mining workers whose jobs involve market volatility.

After several economic crises, especially in 1985, international mineral prices fell, while state-owned mining company Corporación Minerade Bolivia (Comibol) temporarily closed, collectively began to emerge.

This leaves thousands of Bolivian miners without jobs. With the privatization of mines in Bolivia, the collective provides miners with space for self-organization. Some people end up extracting tin, silver, gold and zinc for sale to private businesses.

Now, the collective represents the majority of mining workers, and far outnumbers their peers in Comibol and the private sector. Therefore, despite their relatively small ability to extract minerals compared to large companies, they have important political power.

The number of gold mining collectives is estimated to reach about 1,600. But critics of the collaborative system warn that workers exposed to toxic conditions during the extraction process face few safeguards.

Opponents also pointed out that while cooperatives are legal, some of their mining activities are not, which can lead to environmental damage and pollution.

The informal nature of this work has also led to fatal conflicts, whether it is entering mining sites or selling metals and increasing investment markets.

The battle sometimes involves workers and security forces from American companies. The state-owned company has become the largest in Bolivia, driven in part by favorable policies led by former socialist president Evo Morales, who led the country from 2006 to 2019.

For example, in 2012, tensions between Comibol and the collective led to roadblocks and deadly explosive attacks in La Paz.

According to Silva, a collective explosive attack between the two sides had been working hard for years on Thursday.

Local police officer Colonel Gunther Agudo told local media that the explosive attack “caused a huge explosion.”

“We are continuing the rescue work,” he said.