She was paralyzed for more than two months due to the protests, but yesterday she resumed her work. The Las Bambas copper mine, one of the most important in the country, restarted its operations yesterday after having been prevented from doing so, since last January 4, due to the blockades in the Apurímac-Cusco mining corridor.
Since yesterday morning, dozens of trucks loaded with copper were able to leave the mine, located in the department of Apurímac, towards the port of Matarani, in Arequipa, to resume their export operations.
Due to the protests that began on January 4, Las Bambas copper cargo transportation operations were 100 percent paralyzed, while work at its concentrator plant was 90 percent.
LOOK: Cusco-Apurímac mining corridor is paralyzed as of today
The almost 100% paralysis of transportation operations and the plant caused the mine to stop exporting 9.5 million dollars per day, according to sources close to Las Bambas.
This incident caused Las Bambas to stop contributing more than 300 million soles for taxes and royalties to the country in the more than two months of stoppage, since the contribution made by the mine per day is S/5.2 million.
In the same way, the Apurímac region also suffered economic losses due to the protests. The regional government stopped receiving from Las Bambas, since last January, a little more than 90 million soles for mining canon and royalties.
This is because the daily contribution made by the company, for these taxes, is S/3.2 million, out of the total S/5.2 million that Las Bambas contributes per day to the central government and for mining canon and royalties.
THEY SEND POLICE AND MILITARY
Yesterday morning, the sections of the Apurímac-Cusco-Arequipa mining corridor, 400 kilometers long, were unblocked by 300 members of the Army and the Police, reported the Ministry of the Interior.
The joint work allowed the free flow of cargo and passenger vehicles in this corridor that allows entry and exit to the Antapaccay and Hudbay (Cusco) and Las Bambas (Apurímac) mines.
The first sector released was that of Cusco, near the town of Yavi Yavi, in the district of Colquemarca, in the Cusco province of Chumbivilcas, which leads to the Antapaccay and Hudbay mines. Afterwards, the Apurímac section, which leads to Las Bambas, was cleared.
Monday the 6th of this monththis medium reported the beginning of the blockade of the route to Antapaccay and Hudbay, as confirmed by two leaders of the defense fronts.
Peru21 communicated again yesterday with those leaders to find out if they will continue with their measure after the arrival of the police and military contingent.
They had differing positions. The leader of the Espinar Defense Front (Cusco), Freddy Llaique, said that the strike “will continue.”
But the representative of the Santo Tomás United Front (Cusco), Jasmani Huayapo, said that today they were going to evaluate whether or not to continue with the protest.
I KNEW THAT
-Since January 4, the Apurímac sector of the mining corridor, which leads to Las Bambas, did not allow the transit of cargo trucks. But, since yesterday, the Police cleared the route and there is already passability.
-On Monday the 6th, leaders of the defense front of the Cusco sector, which leads to the Antapaccay and Hudbay mines, began blocking the corridor route, but yesterday it was released. There are discrepancies on whether they will continue with their measure.
