Franklin Mining, Inc. (FMNJ)

[silver_bars]

I was doing some reading on the history of the Cerro Rico mine.... and it's quite an interesting read;

- The Spanish conquered Bolivia in the 1,500's, and the Cerro Rico mine was discovered shortly therefater.

- The Silver deposits in Cerro Rico were so rich, the mine practically financed the early rapid growth of the Spanish empire..... however, it sounds like the Spanish ran the mine ruthlessly.

- The Silver wealth of Cerro Rico was so great, the city around the mine (Potosi) rose to become one of the wealthiest cities in the world by the 1,700's.

- However, Bolivia has basically had a number of Poltical problems for the past 150 years, has been plagued by Military coups for the past 50 years, and it's economy ravaged by inflation & debt for the past 20 years.

- With the combination of Bolivia's political/economic problems and low Silver prices, the Cerro Rico mine & it's workers have literally been abandoned from modern technology and workers rights.

In summary...... it looks like there is a true opportunity for someone to step in and help these people improve their working conditions and modernize the mine..... but given past history of the mine and the country/economy in general, they Bolivians aren't going to be very trusting of foriegners.... but becuase we have a CEO with a family background in Bolivia, it's a major plus for us, IMO.