In recent months the conflicts in the mines Cuajone Y The Bambas they have hit this item, although in the case of the first a truce was reached for 15 days. The National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy (SNMPE) has reported that due to these problems 20% of copper production is at risk.
However, these are not the only cases. According to the Ombudsman, there are 87 socio-environmental conflictss, of which 65 are active, that is, those “expressed by any of the parties or by third parties through public demands (which in many cases manifest with road blockades or seizures)”.
The representative of the deputy for the Prevention of Social Conflicts of the Ombudsman, Luis Alvarado, assured that 66% of conflicts are in the process of dialogue, but assured that the problem arises when a commitment document is signed and not does what is offered.
“There is a shared responsibility here. What the government must do is give continuity to the commitments”He commented to this newspaper.
In this sense, he considered that it is necessary to know what the policy is for monitoring the minutes of all those involved in the sector.
“Every time there is going to be a crisis, it is just announced that there will be a follow-up (…). Dialogue should not only be to reach an agreement but also to be fulfilled”accurate.
Portfolio without advance
According to figures from Ministry of Energy and Mines (minem)there is a portfolio of 43 mining projects amounting to US$53,168 million, But with so many problems surrounding the sector, the execution of those projects could be a long way off, according to analysts.
Former Minister of Energy and Mines Carlos Herrera Descalzi He indicated that there are so many problems that are currently being generated that this will lead international investors to begin to focus their attention on other countries.
“The new investments in mining are not due to conflicts. The investor looks to other countries because they also have opportunities to develop this sector”, he warned. Likewise, he stated that if Peru today “resists” the crisis due to the pandemic and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, it is because it “accumulated resources thanks to mining.”
For its part, the former Vice Minister of Mines Rómulo Mucho He commented that the magnitude of the conflicts has not been measured beyond the income for the country.
“If this situation continues, suppliers are going to have to lay off people, which is going to generate an increase in informality, crime, diseases and the destruction of the country.”, he highlighted.
He added that this is an anti-mining government, in which “it is not interested in having people by meritocracy.”
Data
- As of March of this year, the Ombudsman’s Office registered 208 social conflicts in the country, of which 160 were active and 48 latent.
- The largest number of conflicts was found in Loreto with 29 cases, followed by Cusco and Áncash.
- The information indicates that there are 106 cases that are in the process of dialogue.
