“Las Bambas conflict reignited” – 11 February 2017

On 10 February the government issued a supreme decree…declaring a state of emergency in the province of Cotabambas for 30 days, suspending constitutional rights (personal freedoms and security, freedoms of transit and public assembly) and putting matters of public order in the hands of the police and armed forces. This occurred in response to the escalation of protest at the Las Bambas copper mine [part of Minerals and Metals Group, part of China Minmetals] in Apurimac. A 72-hour strike was declared in the district of Challhuahuacho on 6 February, which by 8 February had become ‘indefinite’, as protesting communities blocked roads in the area in addition to the continued blocking of the key controversial road by four of the affected communities. The intention is now to block all access routes from the mine to the port…Meanwhile there seems to be silence on the main challenge to the mine owners, MMG, in the government’s proposals in November. This was the requirement that the much-disputed Environmental Impact Assessment would be re-evaluated within three months. Other pending issues concerning human rights and compensation from last October’s violent confrontations and the death of a community member also appear to be absent from the agenda…