Peru: 14 people injured from communities in Cusco; repression denounced for protests against unconstitutional reclassification of roads in favour of Chinese mining company Las Bambas
Summary
Date Reported: 26 Jul 2021
Location: Peru
Companies
China Minmetals - Parent Company , Las Bambas (part of MMG) - Other Value Chain Entity , Minerals and Metals Group (MMG) (part of China Minmetals) - SubsidiaryProjects
Las Bambas - UnknownAffected
Total individuals affected: Number unknown
Community: ( Number unknown - Location unknown - Sector unknown , Gender not reported )Issues
InjuriesResponse
Response sought: No
Source type: News outlet
"Mining corridor: repression leaves 14 injured, but protest continues" -26 July 2021-...
...Police repression against the indefinite strike by peasant communities in Chumbivilcas, Cusco, left at least 14 people injured on Sunday 25 July, reported Derechos Humanos Sin Frontera...Ten men and four women were hit by pellets and tear gas canisters during the protest calling attention to the demands of the Southern Mining Corridor’s population... Since 23 July, the communities have been denouncing the arbitrary reclassification of temporary communal roads into national roads, which allows the transport of minerals, generating socio-environmental harms and impacts... The communities' claim is specifically against Ministerial Resolution 372-2018-MTC that favours mining transport, mainly for the mining company MMG Las Bambas... According to Derechos Humanos Sin Frontera, before approving this resolution, the Ministry of Transport and Communications (MTC) did not carry out the process of prior consultation with the affected communities...In addition, to date the MTC has not acquired the communal property for the road.... Despite police repression, communities in the area took to the streets again on Monday 26 July to demand, for the fourth consecutive day, that their demands be met. According to RPP Noticias, part of the mining corridor has been blocked as part of the protests, and only vehicles not transporting minerals are being allowed to pass...The representative for the defence of the interests of Las Bambas, Wilmer Fuentes, told the media that the protests will continue until 28 July if their demands are not met...