By selling it to the government, the mining interests hoped to keep the price of silver from falling.

VOA: special.2010.06.03

In regular short-selling,traders borrow assets and sell them at a set price, hoping they can make a profit by buying them later at a lower price.

VOA: standard.2010.05.19

He says the people here are poor. The middlemen would be free to continue selling to them if it was at a price they could afford.

VOA: standard.2010.08.04