Informal miners from various regions are preparing new protests for next Monday, December 30, which include the blockade of the Panamericana Sur highway and other roads, in case the Government does not enact the law to expand the Comprehensive Registry of Mining Formalization (Reinfo), approved by Congress.
LOOK: Senahmi reports that air pollution in Lima increased due to the use of fireworks at Christmas
This was announced by Omar Montalvo, organizational secretary of the Association of Small Artisanal Mining Producers and Secocha Contractors, whose headquarters are in Camaná.
As is known, Last month, the Plenary Session of Congress approved the extension of the term of the Comprehensive Mining Formalization Registry (Reinfo) until June 30, 2025, with the possibility of extending it for another six months.
Montalvo said in RPP that the decision was made at a meeting of informal miners’ organizations affiliated with the Mining Confederation of Peru. He specified that it is planned that a group will protest in Lima, and another in the provinces with road blockades.
The leader indicated that if the Executive does not promulgate the rule until December 30, miners and their families will be affected, since they will not be able to buy and market the inputs to exploit a mining concession.
Besides, They asked for the departure of the Vice Minister of Mines, Henry Luna Córdoba, and the General Director of Mining Formalization, Mayra Mercedes Elisabeth Figueroa, because they are part of the management of former minister Rómulo Mucho.
“Pressure and lobby” in Congress
It should be noted that the Former Minister of Energy and Mines, Rafael Belaunde Llosa criticized Parliament’s decision.“So, in 6 months we will be in the same situation, because there is a group of congressmen who exert pressure and lobby to extend the Reinfo indefinitely, “which is the ideal limbo to preserve informality,” he emphasized in Channel N.
For Rafael Belaunde Llosa, what should be done is “take the bull by the horns and see what problems are preventing these illegal miners from becoming formal.” “Reinfo provides a limbo of absolute impunity; That is to say, I can sell, I can enter with explosives, attack, steal, etc.,” he added.
