I have been re-thinking the situation: I am hesitant to pull out now and I will explain why.
Anti-mining activism has persisted for decades in Mexico and Peru because the indigenous people live with the results of modern-day 'Conquistadors' who continue to pillage the land and exploit the resident population. They are being goaded on by activist organizations who post links to Socialist and Communist sites on their websites.
Fortuna is being painted with the same brush and the problems are being globalized.
ALL miners and ALL oil and gas operators are being blamed for environmental damage in the Amazon basin and other eco-sensitive areas throughout the world. Responsible mining can be done. It must be done.
Leftist extremists want to make money too, e.g. Venezuela keeps the spoils at home through selective trading.
Are these people being exploited by forces with a secret agenda? Definitely.
Will they be better off under that leadership? Perhaps not.
People in Russia, China and Cuba have been brutally and economically oppressed in recent times.
I also care what FVI means to the community.
Fortuna will have to make a big display of continuous Foreign Aid to the countries that allow them to stay and *prove* that they will work to eliminate environmental damage.
By being good Corporate citizens, Fortuna continues operations with a clean conscience and a welcome by the people who stand to gain or lose the most. The activists dry up and move on with nothing to gain by their actions.
The locals cannot immediately inherit sophisticated mining jobs like Geologist, Geothermal Analyst, Geophysicist, Helicopter Pilot, Heavy Duty Truck Operator or Mechanic and computer-assisted Mining Machinery and Equipment Operator etc.
Those are technologically driven jobs where automation shrinks the number of jobs available.
Even so, there has been a shortage of qualified workers in the mining field because of the rising level of skill and education required.
In time, with proper education and guidance YES they can have these jobs.
Will they benefit from improvement in standard of living?
Most definitely. Education will be enabled to develop the above projected skill shortages and economically connected jobs. Improved services and opportunities lie ahead in multiple areas: farming technology, medicine, legal, finance, commerce, transportation, tourism and environmental protection fields plus more besides.
Once the money for development comes in, these disenchanted people can learn from the Western world where we have failed: not enough guidance on where the jobs are with the changing times; e.g. Automotive Industry workers who do not see the writing on the wall.
I will stand back and watch to see what Fortuna does next in these critical times.
They have the power to change things for the good.
Will Fortuna have a conscience and redeem it through generous acts that empower everybody and publicize it far and wide? Stay tuned.