Las Bambas: communities will keep the mining corridor unblocked during negotiations

This Thursday the meeting between the Government, MMG Las Bambas and the communities of Chumbivilcas (Cusco) that for more than a month they chose to block a section of the southern mining corridor pending contractual improvements.

Although the obstruction of the road was planned only until the end of the tripartite dialogue, it transpired that the communities will keep the road unblocked during the period of negotiations.

So far there is no final decision on the commercial demands of the communities, for which a new day of dialogue has been scheduled for January 18 and 19, 2022.

The January 18 meeting – to be defined – will include officials from the Ministry of Transportation and Communications (MTC) and the Ministry of Justice; while that of 19, with the Ministry of the Environment and the Ministry of Energy and Mines.

Some agreements

The Executive ratified the budget for the legal physical sanitation of the road, to then continue with the asphalting and maintenance.

In addition, the MTC offered to involve the communities of the Chumbivilcas Road Corridor, in the maintenance of neighborhood roads and bridleways. To do this, an inventory of these routes will be made and training will be provided for the formation of micro-enterprises with the communities. The MTC will convene the parties for a meeting schedule.

While Las Bambas offers maintenance in the section of the road that corresponds to the Communities of the Road Corridor of the province of Chumbivilcas, through a consortium that is made up of the communal companies of the province of Chumbivilcas.

In addition, The mining company guaranteed that these communities will be considered as Area of ​​Social and Environmental Interest and will be able to invest in sustainable development projects in the communities of the Chumbivilcas province of the road corridor. For its part, the Executive will consider these communities as a Special Attention Area. The Ministry of the Environment through the OEFA will monitor and communicate the process of modifying the EIA

And, regarding the inclusion of the communities in the MMG Las Bambas value chain, the Minem will resume the meetings with this company and the community members to continue with the discussion.

For its part, MMG Las Bambas He welcomed the willingness to dialogue of the representatives of Chumbivilcas and the coordinating work of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM) “to seek better investment conditions in the South road corridor, as well as to guarantee the rights of all parties involved.”

Finally, the Minister of Economy, Pedro FranckeHe assured that the communities promised not to block the roads of the mining corridor, since the signed act “traces the path for conciliation.”

While González Toro, affirmed that his office will receive and attend the demands of the representatives of the province regarding rural electrification. “They have to send us their requirements to identify the localities that need projects,” he concluded.