Today: May 2, 2025
April 24, 2025
3 mins read

“Pachamama gave us justice”: judges acquits Cotabambas defenders after a decade of persecution for protests

"Pachamama gave us justice": judges acquits Cotabambas defenders after a decade of persecution for protests

Ten years later, the eleven environmental defenders of Cotabambas They heard the ruling they expected so much: innocent. April 22, Earth Daythe Superior Court of Justice of Apurímac declared the appeal founded and annulled the sentence that condemned them for protesting against the Las Bambas Mining Megaproject. For many, the date was not coincidence: the land they defended with their life and their freedom, finally, spoke in their favor.

In 2015, when the protest broke out on Apurímac’s heights, they did not imagine that it would mark their destiny during the next decade. Denounced the modification of the Environmental Impact Study of the Las Bambas project that was carried out without prior consultation to the communities. They organized, raised their voice and marched peacefully.

You can see: They announce indefinite unemployment against rejection against mining bambas and would have 1 injured by police repression

The state’s response was a fierce repression that left three dead community members, dozens of injured and more than 300 denounced. Of them, 37 came to trial. And eleven were sentenced in the first instance, in 2024, barely between 8 and 9 years in prison, in addition to the payment of a civil reparation of 50,000 soles in favor of the State Peruvian and $ 88,600 in favor of the company Mmg the bambas sac.

The weight of criminalization

"Pachamama gave us justice": judges acquits Cotabambas defenders after a decade of persecution for protests

Las Bambas Mining Project

Lisbeth Abarca Peñaprofessor of initial and communal leader, faced a nine -year sentence. Today, in dialogue with the Republic, he recalled that long path of anguish and resistance. “It has been a Calvary. On more than one occasion, work doors were closed, I felt discriminated. The sentence affected me personally and emotionally. Think about leaving my mother of 83 alone … I broke my soul. But yesterday, Pachamama gave us justice. ”

She was not the only one to load with that weight. Ronald Bello Abarca, accountant and former president of the Tambobamba Defense Fronthe also lived the judicial persecution with his three young children, his wife and his octogenarian parents. “Our mistake was to ask why the environmental impact study was modified without consultation. That is why they called us antimineros, terrorists. Just by exercising a legitimate right.”

You can see: Protest criminalization: Bambas adjacent communities ask Congress to resume amnesty law

The judicial processes not only moved them away from their families and works, but also from their communities. “Not everyone loves us and not everyone hates us,” Lisbeth said. The social polarization that generated the mining conflict still feels in the highland villages, where the promised development never came and where distrust grows when dissident voices are silenced with complaints.

Late justice, open wounds

The innocence failure represents a respite, but does not erase suffering. Maximiliano Huachaca Mamanirural and farmer, he was also acquitted after years of struggle. “I lost days of work to defend myself, my children and my mother in a wheelchair suffered with me. We are not antimineros, but we do demand respect and responsibility to our Pachamama,” he said.

The acquittal failed to relieve all sadness. Ronald reminded the three community members who died in 2015, and another in 2016, whose cases are still not clarified. “Those brothers are not here to celebrate. Their deaths are still unpunished, and open wounds.” In addition, he informed that recently several community members who were traveling to accompany them at the audience suffered a traffic accident and are serious, so the joy for justice is mixed with the sadness for them.

A future to rebuild

"Pachamama gave us justice": judges acquits Cotabambas defenders after a decade of persecution for protests

The mining project affects the habitat of the communities of Cotabambas

After acquittal, what follows is to try to rebuild the interrupted lives. “The scars will always remain,” Lisbeth noted. But there is also the certainty that his fight was not in vain. “Thank God the magistrates andJustice was done. Today I have peace to continue living and do something still for our land. ”

In Cotabambas, the history of the eleven environmental defenders is already a symbol of resistance. A reminder that protest is not a crime, and that defending the earth is also to defend life. According to the leaders, now that Justice spoke, it is the State to listen to the State.

You can see: Bambas reduces 30% production by corridor blockages

“We hope that transnational extractive companies will be aware to preserve the environment and that they respect the population, that there is a true prior consultation for any change in environmental impacts. We want a true commitment,” Maximilian concluded.

The bambas: a historic failure that feels a precedent

The decision of the Superior Court of Justice of Apurímac not only represents a victory for the defenders, but also establishes a precedent in the fight against the criminalization of social protest in Peru. According to David Velazcodirector of Fedepaz and legal representative of the defendants, the process, which extended for more than a decade, was marked by inconsistencies and lack of evidence.

The lawyer explained that during the trial the existence of evidence that directly linked to those accused with the crimes attributed to them was not accredited. In addition, he pointed out that the initial sentence was based on facts that were not part of the formal accusation.

Source link

Latest Posts

They celebrated "Buenos Aires Coffee Day" with a tour of historic bars - Télam
Cum at clita latine. Tation nominavi quo id. An est possit adipiscing, error tation qualisque vel te.

Categories

ASUETO
Previous Story

ASUETO

Court that will investigate judges also has candidates close to Morena
Next Story

Court that will investigate judges also has candidates close to Morena

Latest from Blog

Whooping cough

Whooping cough

A look at the current situation through the eyes and pencil of our cartoonists. Source link
Go toTop