Jaime Polar Paredes, mining expert
The increase in social conflicts in our country, according to the Ombudsman, increased by 7% since the government of President Pedro Castillo began. Conflicts that are increasingly violent and that directly threaten private property and investment in a fundamental activity for our country’s economy: mining.
The focus of attention was first on Cuajone, where acts of vandalism against the water supply for the population were evidenced, and now it is the turn of Las Bambas where, unfortunately, agreements have not been reached with the community. The eviction carried out a day ago was the trigger for the situation to escalate into the uncontrollable. It is really unacceptable that the community members enter the concentrator plant and cause irreparable damage to private property – they already number almost thirty – without the police being able to prevent it.
Unfortunately the leaders of Outbamba, As in most protests, they follow a script determined by professional agitators who are fully recognized by the authorities and who succeed in the absence of leadership. Faced with this complicated scenario, it is essential to reinforce with top-level professionals the Vice Ministry of Territorial Governance of Peru and the Secretariat of Social Management and Dialogue of the PCM. This dependency of the Council of Ministers has a complicated task that requires medium and long-term strategies, without a doubt, but the active conflicts in the southern Andes should not be neglected.
On the other hand, officials of the Ministry of Energy and Mines they must exercise conciliatory leadership, based on dialogue and not on confrontation. The immediate thing is to generate confidence when assuming new commitments and honoring the past.
The role of formal mining has shifted its objectives towards climate change, the transition to a green economy, environmental sustainability and social harmony. It is an activity audited by the regulatory entities of our country and that generates important foreign currency for the Peruvian economy. There is no place to breach what is established by Peruvian law. Unlike illegal mining, companies authorized by the Peruvian State generate canon for the regions and pay high taxes. Maintaining its validity is everyone’s task.
