Gilberto Vargas Antacayo
Fuentes
On 1 October 2015, the Peruvian social leaders of Apurímac, Edwar Brandon Quispe Cuno, Javier Mamani Coaquira, Edwin Chumbes Challanca, Asunto Huamani Huamani, Abraham Vargas Ichuhuayta, Justino Chiclla Quispe, Vidal Ccorpuna Alejo, Uriel Mendoza Espinoza, Wilmer Cárdenas Romero, Octavio Ccorpuna Pinares, Amílcar Quispe Letona, Leonardo Taype Huamanga, Willian Richard Huillca Ocon, Clever Sullca Huarcaya, Juan Lima Huamani, Placido Sulca Costa, Gilberto Vargas Antacayo, Nolberto Berrio Huilca, and Joel Panique Flores were sued by the mining company MMG Limited Las Bambas. They were accused of illicit association to commit a crime, aggravated damage, disturbances, and illegal possession of weapons and explosives. According to the Peruvian Criminal Code, the penalties for those crimes are between 11 and 17 years of imprisonment. The complaint was initiated concerning the demonstrations between 25 and 28 September 2015 by the rural communities of Cotabambas in opposition to the company’s mining project. The social leaders Edwar Brandon Quispe Cuno and Javier Mamani Coaquira suffered 6 months of preventive detention. In March 2020, the Unipersonal Court of Cotabambas did not find sufficient evidence against the social leaders and acquitted them from the charges.