Rosia Montana

Daniel Mihailescu/Agence France-Presse/Getty Images Romanians opposing the cyanide exploitation of a gold reserve in the western town of Rosia Montana lifted red cardboards as they protested in the front of the Cotroceni Palace, the Romanian presidential headquarters, in Bucharest on Tuesday.

Emerging Europe: The Week in Photos 2011

So here is the punchline: Rosia Montana is a place of great natural wealth, BUT THERE IS NO INCOME as one of the villagers in the film put it.

Archive 2009-05-01 Bill Powell 2009

Their protests have helped block Gabriel's decadelong efforts to open a modern mine at the site, known as Rosia Montana.

Overheard: Gold vs. Green 2009

What is new is that a Canadian company wants to mine in Rosia Montana.

Archive 2009-05-01 Bill Powell 2009

Very simply, there is a gold mine in Rosia Montana, a village in Romania.

Archive 2009-05-01 Bill Powell 2009

The Canadians will lose their investment, just as the people of Rosia Montana lost their village.

Archive 2009-05-01 Bill Powell 2009

The situation is Rosia Montana is repeated all over the world, wherever there is wealth that can be exploited.

Archive 2009-05-01 Bill Powell 2009

This is not news; there has always been a gold mine Rosia Montana, and one can still explore the tunnels dug by the Romans, from whom Romania is named.

Archive 2009-05-01 Bill Powell 2009

It is neither my village nor my country, and these are decisions which only the people of Rosia Montana and the government of Romania can make.

Archive 2009-05-01 Bill Powell 2009

"I think the shareholders of Rosia Montana all over the world have no idea what is happening here and I'd like to inform them," he said.

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