IN WHAT could be Latin America's biggestgold mine Brazil, the world's sixthlargest goii:1 producer, has 'reported amajor 150--tonne gold find worth nearly.us $2 billion. But this time, the discovery, announced early last month,has raised fears of another possibleinvasion of garimpeiros or individualprospectors into Curionopolis, thetown closest to the site, bringing alongwith it a string of social problems. Thegold rush in the'80s saw nearly 100,000of these prospectors on a rampage inSerra Pelada, which once housed theWorld's largest open-cast gold mine.
The new, deposit has been found-430 rn below the earth's surface bkthestate-owned Companhia Vale do RioDoce in Serra Leste, in the easternAmazon basin. Officials of Curionopolishave demanded police reinforcementsand @b 'etter health facilities to preventthe dutbreak of several diseases. Themine'is, expected to yield nearly 10tonnLn,,of gold a year - about 20,percent oi Brazil's current output.