For two and a half hours, the more than 100 community members from Fuerabamba who arrived in Pumamarca in the province of Cotabambas waited (Apurimac) to meet with the still president of the Council of Ministers, Hannibal Torresin order to finally establish a dialogue to resolve the social conflict around the Las Bambas mining project.
Representatives of the six communities in conflict –Nueva Fuerabamba, Huancuire, Pumamarca, Choaquere, Chila and Chuicuni– were very punctual at the agreed time, 11:00 am The one who did not appear until after 2:00 pm was the premier, a fact that he annoyed the residents who received him with posters and expressions of rejection.
“Stop the criminalization of communities”; “Premier, we are not kidnappers”; “No to the persecution of community leaders” Y “enough of deception” were some of the phrases written on the banners that the community members carried when Torres arrived and the headlines of the mineCarlos Palacios, and mincetur, Robert Sanchez. In addition, they were also shown a sack with the tear gas cartridges released by the PNP during the clashes.
The delay was due to the fact that hours before they were in Urubamba (Cuzco) to address issues related to the Chinchero international airport and the conflict that began yesterday in Machu Picchu.
There Torres pointed out that “problems must be solved through dialogue and not violence”, despite the fact that on May 13 he verbally attacked the community members of Cotabambas. “They want me to go where they’re up. What goes so that they can kidnap me? Not well”he expressed.
Disrespect
Not only was he late, but he left without giving solutions. Before leaving, the cabinet chief assured that the government will lift the state of emergency in Challhuahuacho and Coyllurqui if social peace is restored. “The state of emergency is lifted simultaneously with the lifting of the attitudes of force”, he expressed.
For the regional governor of Apurímac, Baltazar LantaronIt is disrespectful that the premier arrived so late and left the place without resolving the conflict.
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“We have made every effort to be seated at the dialogue table, but unfortunately it has not been completed because the minutes were not signed and the premier has kicked the board and left. He has become very fond of Cusco, leaving us standing for more than two hours; It is a lack of respect for the community members”, he maintained and added that “if the premier does not have the will, let President Castillo come or another person who has the capacity to build”.
Edison Vargas, president of the Fuerabamba community, regretted what happened. “The intention to dialogue has always been there, it is ridiculous that the premier has withdrawn without responding to the interventions of the six leaders we spoke about. we feel mocked“, said to Peru21.
Another who showed his outrage was Erick Ramos, general secretary of the Las Bambas workers’ union. “Unfortunate that they have not come to anything. Every day that passes affects us more, in the mining company the layoffs have already begun… we are going to get together to march in protest, ”he advanced.
Keep in mind
- Parallel to the dialogue table, yesterday the first high-level government delegation was held in Challhuahuacho (Cotabambas).
- Today marks one month since the stoppage of operations at the Las Bambas mining company.
- “We were unofficially informed that the premier is out… maybe that’s why he’s not interested in solving this”, said Erick Ramos.
