The company Southern Copper Corp. pointed out that it is close to reaching an agreement with a group of communities to raise a protest that had led to the suspension of operations at the mine in Cuajoneas reported by Reuters.
The Cuajone copper mine suspended operations on February 28, after four communities in southern Peru closed the company’s access to water and blocked a railway used to transport the ore.
The company said that local community assemblies could ratify the operation in the coming days, allowing the mine to restart operations.
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Peru is the world’s second largest producer of copper and mining is a key source of tax revenue. Residents of nearby communities have increasingly protested that the mines cause pollution without contributing enough to the local economy.
Southern Copper, a subsidiary of Grupo México, is one of the main copper producers and Cuajone is the company’s second largest mine in the country.
According to calculations by the National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy (SNMPE), Peru would be losing S/ 8.5 million a day due to the stoppage of the Cuajone mine and that, together with La Bambas, the production of 20 % coppermade.
