Southern Copper's restart of contentious Peru project sparks protests
LIMA, July 18 -The start of construction on a long-stalled Southern Copper SCCO.N mine in Peru triggered protests by several dozen people on Thursday, as activists said resistance to the contentious project could potentially grow.
Southern Copper, owned by conglomerate Grupo Mexico GMEXICOB.MX, said earlier this month it would begin construction on the Tia Maria mine in the Arequipa region.
The $1.4 billion project had been on hold for years due to opposition from community members in the Tambo Valley over environmental concerns. Protests against the mine left six people dead between 2011 and 2015.
Several dozen Tambo Valley residents began a two-day demonstration on Thursday that they called a "preventive protest," according to local television images and a local leader. The demonstration blocked roads in the Dean Valdivia district of the Arequipa region, near the mine site.
Southern Copper said the protest was not affecting construction. Production is expected to begin in 2027, with the mine eventually expected to produce 120,000 metric tons of copper annually.
In a July filing to the Securities and Exchange Commission, Southern Copper said the decision to launch construction came after discussions with Peru's government that took into account social and political conditions.
Anti-mining protests have frequently stalled projects in the world's third-largest copper producer, which recently lost its No. 2 title to Democratic Republic of Congo.
Miguel Meza, a Tambo Valley community leader, said there was the potential for tensions to escalate.
"They want to impose the Tia Maria project, if this continues we will radicalize the protest," he told a press conference in Lima.
Jose de Echave, a researcher at CooperAccion, a nonprofit that aids people affected by extractive industries, criticized a plan from President Dina Boluarte to streamline environmental regulations with the aim of boosting investment.
"Our concern is that if this strategy continues, we will undoubtedly have more poles of social tension in the mining sector," he said. CooperAccion has tracked 200 social conflicts in Peru since mid-2021, with 64% related to anti-mining protests.
Reporting by Marco Aquino in Lima
Writing by Daina Beth Solomon
Editing by Matthew Lewis
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