The Vice President Dina Boluarte went to the World Economic Forum (WEF) to give a double talk and tell lies about formal mining. That is the main conclusion of his interventions on Tuesday at the international event in Davos, Switzerland.
Boluarte had started the day speaking before the main world leaders and giving a speech in which he excused the Government for not being able to “govern in peace” and called for investment in Peru. However, that same night, in the middle of a dinner in the framework of the WEF activitiesattacked mining.
“In Peru, the mining companies that are contaminating our rivers, our pastures, our lagoons, and we want these companies, just as we are talking about measuring the results they have been doing, to measure these contaminations because Peru is not an island where a Robinson is. Crusoe (…). In every contaminated space there are children who have lead in their blood and who have a maximum life expectancy of 50 years,” said the president, microphone in hand, in the middle of a room with several leaders.
To this added other comments that would seem to correspond more to the illegal minerya clarification that he never made: “As we say in Peru, those who ‘pay the price’ are the brothers, the community, who sometimes without prior consultation are taking advantage of their geographical spaces and are dying”.
Another aspect that drew attention was the lack of knowledge that the vice president would have shown about the location of large mining operations and the social conflicts that the Executive Power has not been able to solve until now. An example of this was saying that the Cuajone mine was in Apurímac, when in fact it is in Moquegua.
“We have and continue to have gold, and (we have) the most valuable gold, which is red gold. There is Southern, extracting gold in Apurímac, there we have the Chinese companies, which are in Las Bambas”, he affirmed.
Dynamite mining
Boluarte’s words received harsh criticism from the mining sector, given the negative effect it would have on attracting mining investments that the country sorely needs to reactivate formal employment.
“She has blatantly lied and has said that mining pollutes rivers, pastures, children. What she is exposing is that she is a liar that he has not noticed the forum in which he finds himself, where there are people who are relatively well informed of what is happening”, said the expert in mining-energy law and Peru21 columnist, Anthony Laub.
In addition, he explained that Boluarte’s comments confirm the Executive’s intentions to hit the mining sector.
“They are dynamiting mining from within. It is the Government itself that does it (…). It is confirmed that this is a State policy, that the State policy of the Government of Pedro Castillo is to blow up miningLaub warned.
The mining businessman Rock Benavides He also showed his rejection and described what happened as “a shame”.
“Mrs. Boluarte is not ignorant and, therefore, she must have done it in very bad faith. (…). I hope that the Minister of Energy and Mines calls this woman’s attention. Honestly, what she has said is outrageous, that has no name, it is destroying the possibility of attracting investment to Peru”, she stated.
On the other hand, former Vice Minister of Energy Pedro Gamio clarified that Boluarte’s words correspond to illegal mining and not to formal mining. “Those don’t go through any kind of rule enforcement,” he explained. In addition, he recalled that formal mining activity involves a series of practices that are “monitored and inspected by (regulators such as) OEFA and Osinergmin.” “He has made a serious mistake that damages the country’s image,” he asserted.
Data:
-The National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy (SNMPE) rejected “the unfortunate statements” of Boluarte.
-“Modern formal mining, the one of today, which represents our guild in Peru, is socially and environmentally responsible. It is widely regulated and only operates after complying with strict environmental parameters,” the union said.
