The communities of Chumbivilcas (Cusco) announced yesterday that they will temporarily unlock the section of the mining corridor until December 30.
It is worth noting that for a little over a month this route has been blocked by some residents of the area, who hope that MMG Las Bambas renegotiate with them your contractual ties after the damages caused by the mining activity in your environment.
In this regard, Víctor Villa, advisor to Chumbivilcas, told Reuters that they will give a truce to the copper-producing mining company and the State, but specified that “They need to be cautious”, given that previously the political class has presented offers but did not comply with them.
Likewise, he emphasized to La República that, “despite the disinformation campaign against the communities, they decided to bet on dialogue.”
Mirtha Vásquez Factor
Last Tuesday, the president of the Council of Ministers, Mirtha Vásquez, gave an ultimatum -through a video call- to the Chumbivilcas communities to free the section of the obstructed corridor, and promised to visit the area by December 30 , the day the truce ends.
It is necessary to emphasize that the PCM proposed declaring the entire mining corridor as a special treatment area, in which environmental impacts would be mitigated and the generation of development opportunities increased despite the mining activity, in addition to its contribution to closing gaps in health and education.
In this regard, Villa stated that “there is some optimism about the PCM’s proposal to declare the mining corridor a special treatment zone.”
For his part, Wilber Fuentes, secretary of the Chumbivilcas Defense Front, celebrates the future visit of the premier and that the Executive has concern to have a special deal with the communities of the mining corridor.
“They have been passing for many years -in reference to the mining activity of Las Bambas- through communal territories and, nevertheless, has not left a grain of development for these ”, he adds for this medium.
Fuentes recalled that when the transportation of copper through a pipeline was considered, the communities within the area of influence were considered, but with the implementation of the land route -when MMG acquires Las Bambas from Xstrata- the environmental impact worsened and They were not even considered in the dialogue.
Finally, Prime Minister Vásquez stressed yesterday that at least 8 communities expressed their desire to end the blockade to continue with the dialogue, and requested that the force measures be relaxed.
“We have found a set of conflicts in acute situations, we have worked to de-escalate some, in Cotabambas, in Puno, in Coata, in Trujillo, in Chalhuahuacho, we all approach them with a policy of open dialogue,” said Vásquez Chuquilín.
Unlocking in Collana is decided today
The Collana community, protagonist of the other blockade of the mining corridor, asked the PCM for a deadline until today at noon to communicate its decision.
For his part, Wilber Fuentes adds that MMG Las Bambas does not have any socio-environmental responsibility with the communities.
“It passes through thirteen communities, affecting us for 200 kilometers. The whole road is dirt, and therefore the passage of hundreds of encapsulates generates tremendous dust in towns with houses vulnerable to the vibration of trucks ”, summarized the community representative.
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