Explore My Site

Join me in this video as I take you to the town of Caranavi in the Bolivian Yungas. One of the first things I noticed here was the massive sand extraction going on. A friend told me that Caranavi's local river, the Río Coroico, used to be beautiful with crystal-clear water just 25 years ago. That sparked my interest, and I decided to investigate further.

Besides the negative ecological impacts of sand mining, the often illegal and highly destructive gold mining industry is poisoning the river. I also had the chance to speak with the journalist Daniel Rivera about his investigation into how abandoned mines all over Bolivia are poisoning local communities and the environment.

Sources:

Investigation on water quality: Cuenca Del Rio Coroico / Cáritas Coroico
https://caritascoroico.org/el-monitoreo-de-la-calidad-del-agua-de-los-rios-de-la-cuenca-del-rio-coroico-continua-en-el-ano-2023/

Daniel Rivera's Investigation: "Bolivia, el país de la tierra envenenada"
https://www.connectas.org/especiales/bolivia-pais-de-la-tierra-envenenada/

World Bank data on sand exports:
https://wits.worldbank.org/trade/comtrade/en/country/ALL/year/2024/tradeflow/Exports/partner/WLD/product/250510

About Me:
I’m Luc Appold, a journalist who has lived long-term in Bolivia, covering this fascinating country at the heart of South America. Subscribe for more insights into Bolivia’s culture, politics, and people!

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction & Sand Mining
01:30 The Gold Mining Problem
01:50 Mining as a Bolivian Crisis

Die Dutch Disease erklärt, warum rohstoffreiche Länder häufig mehr unter ihren Rohstoffen leiden als davon profitieren. Ein Beispiel hierfür ist auch Venezuela. Trotz riesiger Ölreserven sind viele Menschen im südamerikanischen Land arm. Warum Maduros Strutz nicht automatisch eine Verbesserung der Lebensverhältnisse bedeuten muss, erkläre ich in diesem Video.

Im April 2025 verstarb Cornelie von Blum. Trotz Onlineshopping und Ängsten vor Leerstand in vilen Städten, geht es mit Michaela Jeretzky in der Traditionsbuchhandlung von Blum weiter. Was muss passieren, damit der Einzelhandel seinen Wandel in Hameln übersteht.

In Brandenburg fehlen laut Landesregierung in den nächsten zehn Jahren fast 5000 Mediziner. Dass man den Ärztemangel nicht einfach hinnehmen muss, zeigt das mutige Vorangehen der Kleinstadt Osterburg im Norden des Landkreises Stendal.

Join me in my first video as I take you inside the celebrations of the Afro-Bolivian community. Recognized as a national minority, Afro-Bolivians trace their roots back to enslaved Africans brought during colonial times. Today, they preserve unique traditions like the Saya dance and their own language varieties, influenced by Spanish, Portuguese, Aymara, and Quechua.

While around 25,000 identify as Afro-Bolivian, estimates suggest up to 100,000 Bolivians share this heritage. Yet the community continues to face challenges of racism and representation.

I’m Luc Appold, an independent journalist based in Bolivia, covering the elections and everyday life in this fascinating country at the heart of South America. Subscribe for more insights into Bolivia’s culture, politics, and people.

00:00 Introduction to Afro-Bolivian Community
00:18 National Minority Recognition and Celebrations
00:51 Voices of the Community
01:58 Challenges and Discrimination
02:15 International Attention and Cultural Exchange
02:43 Ongoing Racism and Representation
03:22 National Afro-Bolivian Day