Since last February 11, the communities of Tumilaca, Pocata, Coscore and Tala, located in the district of Torata (Moquegua), began a protest measure against the Southern mining company that operates the Cuajone mine.
The community members claim to own the land where the checkpoint, the hospital, the concentrator, Villa Botiflaca and the area where the railway passes, in addition to the Viña Blanca reservoir, occupied by the mining company.
The measure was sharpened, until on February 20 they blocked a railway, to prevent the extracted ore from being transported. On February 28, they seized the Viña Blanca water reservoir.
The conflict turned violent in the early hours of March 10, when a confrontation broke out between the community members and security personnel of the mining company. According to the regional prefect of Moquegua, Edgar Rea, there were several wounded and community members detained.
Yesterday, in statements to a local radio station, the governor of Moquegua, Zenón Cuevas Pare, stated that he had asked the Deputy Minister of Territorial Governance, Jesús Quispe, to intervene in the conflict in order to reach a solution.
On the other hand, last Sunday, the mining workers published a video in which they denounce that they have not had water in their camp for 15 days and that they fear losing their jobs due to the stoppage of operations. In that line, relatives of the workers went out to protest to ask that the water service be restored.
In a statement, the National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy rejected the acts of violence. According to the union, on days of paralysis they have stopped producing more than 7 thousand tons of copper.
Source: Larepublica
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