"PERÚ LIBRE THREATENS NATIONALISATION WHILE PROTESTS CONTINUE", 04 June 2022

...This week a project which has been much in the air took a step towards becoming real, with the presentation to Congress by the government party Peru Libre (PL), of an initiative to create a ‘Corporación Nacional de Cobre’. This would have as a component part, the ‘Empresa Nacional Las Bambas SAC’.

Were this to succeed as legislation, the government “would have under its direction the exclusive control of the exploration for copper, its exploitation, first stages of industrialisation and the repairing of the liabilities created in the process of development” of the mineral. The Empresa Nacional Las Bambas would have powers to intervene in the critical areas of the current Las Bambas dispute affecting (amongst others) the communities of Huancuire, Pumamarca, Choaquere, Chuicuni, Fuerabamba and Chila. The six are protesting at what they see as the illegal use of land expropriated in 2013.

The legislative initiative coincides with the increase in tension and outright conflict at both Las Bambas and at Los Chancas...

Southern Peru suspended operations earlier this year for over 50 days...This week the company denounced an attack on the Los Canchas camp by what it claimed was some 300 people, causing serious damage to camp facilities...