In its last Inflation Report to June, the Central Reserve Bank (BCR) revised downwards the growth of the metal mining production for this year, going from 5.9% in March to 2.9% in June.
For the former Vice Minister of Mines Rómulo Mucho, this responds to the stoppage of the mining company The Bambas and Cuajone for almost 60 days.
It should be noted that last Thursday morning residents of the district of Mara, province of Cotabambas (Apurímac), began a strike in the Southern Mining Corridor in order to demand that the Ministry of Transport and Communications comply with appraisals and payments for land communal or private where the road corridor passes.
Much explained that with the stoppage in Cuajone US$255 million have been lost in exports and for Las Bambas, US$550 million.
Likewise, the national treasury has stopped receiving S/450 million for the paralysis of Cuajone and S/350 million for Las Bambas.
Carlos Gálvez, director of the National Society of Mining, Oil and Energy (SNMPE), agreed that the stoppages are the reason for this reduction in production that will no longer recover.
Gálvez explained that on the Las Bambas side it has meant about 50,000 tons less copper production than the 250,000 to 300,000 it can produce, that is 20% less.
In the case of Cuajone, which produces in the order of 150,000 to 200,000 tons of copper per year, two months of production mean between 35,000 and 40,000 tons of this metal that has stopped producing and that will not be recovered.
Investments
According to Mucho, exploration has dropped for years because there is no support and the construction projects, which should have already started, do not have a start date due to the climate of mistrust and anti-mining that this government has generated.
“The San Gabriel project in Moquegua, Corani in Puno and Yanacocha Sulfuros, (were) postponed for next year, but we do not know if they will be executed, and thus we cannot ensure production stability,” said Mucho, who recalled that after Quellaveco we no longer have any large projects on the horizon for many years.
For Gálvez, the Government must take concrete actions: first, announce that it will not continue with the purpose of the Constituent Assembly; second, to take on its role as a state to control stoppages and protests.
“The State owns 50% of the income generated in mining operations, it is the most important partner in any mine and it is not concerned that there is no production and collection, it seems unheard of,” he asserted.
Data:
-The stoppage of Las Bambas – now in a period of truce – has been affecting 13% of national copper production, according to the Mining Society.
-Among the metals no longer produced are copper, the most important; gold, as Yanacocha and Barrick Gold are producing less; and Uchucchacua, a major silver producer, is not producing, SNMPE’s Gálvez said.
