They champion the defense of the environment and the lands of peasant communities to oppose the country’s large mining projects. Perú21 has identified four anti-mining activists with extensive media exposure on the Senate and Chamber of Deputies lists.
MAXIMA ACUÑA
The Cajamarca peasant Máxima Acuña (55) is running for the Chamber of Deputies as a guest, with number 2, in the Workers and Entrepreneurs Party (PTE).
Máxima Acuña was awarded the Goldman Prize for opposing Conga.
He became a symbol of opposition to the Conga mining project, promoted by Yanacocha, by defending his lands in Sorochuco, Cajamarca since 2011. The project was subsequently suspended.
In 2016 he received the Goldman Environment Prize for taking on Conga.
His candidacy has not yet been admitted by the Special Electoral Jury (JEE).
ALBERTO PIZANGO
On the same list of PTE guests, but for the Senate, the former Amazonian indigenous leader of AIDESEP, Alberto Pizango (61), appears with number 19.
The return of Alberto Pizango after his asylum in Nicaragua due to the ‘Baguazo’.
He achieved notoriety by leading the opposition to legislative decrees 1015 and 1073, of 2008, which – according to him – allowed private investment – such as oil, gas and mining concessions – without prior consultation, because they facilitated the sale of land to peasant and native communities.
His figure was consolidated during the ‘Baguazo’ of 2009, in Bagua (Amazonas), which left 33 dead (23 police officers and 10 civilians). He was granted asylum in Nicaragua and returned to the country.
Pizango’s application has been declared inadmissible due to observations on the guest list on which he appears, errors that his party has just corrected.
RENEGOTIATION OF MINING CONTRACTS
In communication with Peru21the presidential candidate of PTE and Senate candidate with number 1, Napoleon Becerrapointed out that Pizango and Acuña will promote in Congress, if elected, the renegotiation of the legal contracts, which include all mining concessions.
Invited applicants from the Workers’ Party (PTE).
MIRTHA VÁSQUEZ
Another well-known face is that of Pedro Castillo’s former premier, Mirtha Vásquez (50t)who is running as a guest for the Senate with number 4 for Ahora Nación.
In a recent statement to Cajamarca radio Continente, he recalled that the Conga project is paralyzed, reiterated his opposition to it and expressed his concern about the Government’s intention to move Tía María forward.
Last October, Mirtha Vásquez told Continente radio in Cajamarca about the Conga and Tía María mining projects.
His application was declared inadmissible due to observations on the list that he is part of along with other guests. His group, led by Alfonso López Chau, must amend the omissions.
Guest candidates from Ahora Nación.
OLIVAREZ GONZA
Finally, in Venceremos, activist Olivarez Gonza (50), candidate for the Chamber of Deputies for Piura with number 3, also joins the list of opponents of the Tía María project, which he has made the axis of his campaign.
Olivarez Gonza, candidate for deputy for Piura with Venceremos, is already campaigning against the Tía María (Tambo Valley) project in Arequipa.
The list on which it appears was declared inadmissible due to questions raised by other members and is within the correction period.
In the coming days it will be decided whether the four continue in the race.
I KNEW THAT
-False environmentalists. The former president of the SNMPE, Carlos Gálvez, explained to Perú21 that there are anti-miners who disguise themselves as environmentalists to lie to the population by saying that mining projects generate pollution.
-“Anti-miners and illegal miners seek to prevent mining projects from being developed and instability in the system,” added Gálvez.
THEY ARE IN TIME TO CORRECT JEE OBSERVATIONS
Five candidates have current Reinfo
In our December 3 issue We noticed that 16 pre-candidates for the new bicameral Congress appeared in the Comprehensive Registry of Mining Formalization (Reinfo): five with suspended registrations, six current and five excluded.
In practice, only six were authorized to carry out mining activities while they advanced in their formalization process.
Almost two weeks after the start of the registration of lists, of the six initially identified, only five candidates with valid Reinfo are still in the race and are correcting observations made by the special electoral juries.
Within that group, three candidates for the Chamber of Deputies have been declared inadmissible: Leoncio Iglesias (Apra), for Ica; Noel Vásquez (Somos Perú), by Apurímac; and Sixto Gilber Sotomayor (Green Democratic Party), also for Apurimac.
In parallel, the nomination for deputy for Cusco of Joseph Aguirre (Fuerza Popular) was considered inadmissible, while that of John López (Perú Libre), candidate for deputy for Puno, was cleared for the presentation of objections.
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