The Cuajone mine (Moquegua) It has completed a month with its paralyzed activities due to the blockades carried out by the community of Tumilaca, Pocata, Coscore and Tala, of the Torata district. This has caused S/8.5 million in taxes and royalties to be lost daily and has prevented the export of minerals for US$5 million a day, according to data from Southern Peru, the company in charge of the mining unit.
In this way, the losses generated by the blockades would amount to more than S/255 million in collection so far, while at the level of exports the impact would be US$150 million to date.
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The community protests began on February 10, under the argument of alleged possession of land in the area that belongs to the State. That day the claims began with the blocking of the railway, the same one that allowed the transfer of minerals, and Added to this was a water cut in Cuajone on February 28, after the community illegally closed the Viña Blanca valve.which is the reservoir that supplies water to workers and families in the area.
This is how, finally, the mining unit was forced to paralyze its operations at that time, causing hundreds of workers to go through moments of uncertainty regarding the future of their activities and their own safety. Proof of this is that on March 14, they released a video explaining that the health of more than 5,000 people was being attacked and asking for the intervention of the Government of Pedro Castillo.
After a frustrated attempt to establish a dialogue table, this workspace will be installed this Thursday. Why did the dialogue take so long to progress?
Advances and setbacks
Raúl Jacob, Vice President of Finance and CFO of Southern Peruexplained to Peru21 that the main problem would have been the lack of will and coordination within the community itself.
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“The Government promoted a meeting between the three parties for March 18. That day, after 12 hours of conversations, we filled out a document that allowed us to set up the work table. Initially it was going to be installed on March 23, but the community had an assembly and they did not agree with what their leaders had agreed with the Government and the company”, he commented.
Nonetheless, Jacob, who is also president of the National Society for Mining, Oil and Energy, hopes that this Thursday’s meeting can take place, because the parties have already been convened for that day at the headquarters of the Municipality of Mariscal Nieto, in Moquegua, in order to move towards a solution that benefits Moqueguanos, workers and the country as a whole.
Keep in mind
- Cuajone workers protested yesterday before the Ministry of Energy and Mines, asking the Government to solve the blockages and water cuts.
- In Cuajone there is a hospital where the cases of people with diarrhea have increased by 50%. “Water scarcity already creates problems of this kind,” Jacob said.
