Peru’s President Dina Boluarte has announced a 30-day suspension of mining activities in the northern district of Pataz in response to the recent abduction and murder of 13 gold mine workers, reported Reuters.
The government also plans to establish a military base and enforce a curfew from 6pm to 6am to address the escalating violence linked to illegal mining operations.
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The workers worked for a local company, R&R, which had a contract with gold mining company Poderosa. They were kidnapped last month by illegal miners.
President Boluarte stated: “The armed forces will take control of the area where Poderosa operates,” although details on the implementation of the mining pause remain unclear.
Jorge Montoro, Peru’s Mining and Energy Minister, mentioned that the 30-day pause could be extended if necessary.
Poderosa’s manager of corporate affairs told Reuters: “We are clarifying the issue,” indicating that the suspension should only affect informal miners.
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By GlobalDataPeru, the world’s third-largest copper producer, predominantly mines this metal in the south, while gold and silver are extracted in the north.
Since 2020, illegal miners have taken control of several areas under Poderosa’s jurisdiction.
Poderosa has alleged that nearly 40 people, including contractors and artisanal miners, have fallen victim to criminal gangs in Pataz.
The company said in a statement: “The spiral of uncontrolled violence in Pataz is occurring despite the declaration of a state of emergency and the presence of a significant police contingent, which, unfortunately, has been unable to stem the deteriorating security conditions in the area.”
The company urgently called on the government to revise its strategy to combat crime and capture the criminals, while stressing the need for improved intelligence work and collaboration with the Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Judiciary.
Poderosa also criticised the General Directorate of Mining Formalisation and Congress for failing to address the issue of illegal mining effectively.
The company emphasised the urgent need for government, private enterprise and civil society to unite against the destructive impact of illegal mining before it escalates further. Last month, Antamina, the largest copper and zinc mine in Peru, enacted a full safety shutdown following an incident that resulted in the death of a senior manager and injuries to another employee.
