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Article: Once a bearer of gold, the main river of La Paz now transports danger, garbage and stench
- Article from:
- AP Worldstream
- Article date:
- April 25, 2002
- Author:
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00-00-0000
Dateline: LA PAZ, Bolivia
The Choqueyapu River used to be the town's treasure, filled with gold
that five centuries ago attracted the Spaniards to this basin in the
Andes mountains.
Precious metals are nowhere to be found near the river these days.
Human feces, dead dogs and noxious chemicals now fill the Choqueyapu
as it winds through La Paz, bringing disease and overpowering odors
to those unlucky enough to live near its banks.
"The Choqueyapu River is no longer a source of pride for La Paz,"
said Fernando Cajias, a historian. "It is now just a dead, dirty river
that shows the failures of this city."
Not only is the river dead, it's deadly. In ...