Four and a half centuries later, the town of Huancavelica went from being the support of the Spanish crown to being one of the poorest regions in Peru. But it remains in the memory that, like the Potosí mine, the Santa Bárbara mine was just as important in the 15th century, for the extraction of mercury.
Although, at this point in history in the 21st century, there has been no progress in the development of the land of mercury. As Eduardo Galeano said, mining exploitation during the Spanish colony left one of the veins open in the mine of death, where thousands of men lost their lives for the benefit of the mother country, which is why this day is not celebrated, it is commemorated.
After almost half a millennium, Huancavelica continues to be a victim of mercury mining exploitation. In April, the Ministry of the Environment declared an environmental emergency due to mercury and heavy metal contamination in the community of Saccsamarca and the city of Huancavelica, in response to the ruling of the judicial branch.
The other side of the coin, despite bringing back so many painful memories of the time of Spanish colonization, the Santa Bárbara mine is now born as an opportunity to attract the attention of the world, with the nomination as a World Heritage Site by UNESCO. This would attract national and international tourism, and would allow the local economy to be revitalized.
Among the requirements for the application are access to the area in good condition and sanitation services for the community of Saccsamarca. Something that is not currently in place, and whose project is being evaluated, despite many years of waiting, and which the residents themselves have even carried out a study on their own.
In the midst of the 90-day state of emergency declaration that ended in July, residents of Saccsamarca held a demonstration to demand road maintenance and sanitation services to improve people’s living conditions, but to no avail.
The emergency declaration requires that each level of government take action to remedy the effects of mercury and heavy metal contamination. The time already elapsed was used to carry out studies by the regional government through the relevant areas, to refute the report that supports the effects of the contamination.
The development of the wealthy town of Oropeza seems to have taken a break. The impact of the political, economic and social crisis has hit the city hard, where the only economic investment it has is public. The reduction of the public budget has stopped the execution of large-scale works. The lack of employment and complaints of irregularities in the current administration have given rise to the start of a recall process for Mayor Toribio Castro Cornejo and the 11 councilors.
In the face of the recall process, the mayor of Huancavelica tries to remain calm, saying he respects the rights of the people who elected him to govern a year and seven months ago. Meanwhile, he inaugurated the Seccsachaca ecotourism center that was closed for nearly six years. This work is under judicial review, which is why it was abandoned and unfinished for several years.
Seccsachaca is a place of great tourist potential expected by the population since Huancavelica does not have many places of recreation, which was very popular on its first day. Following an agreement by the municipal council, admission will be free for 15 days.
