"Environmental Rights Defenders at Risk in Peru" - June 2014

…Cajamarca is home to the Yanachoca mine, South America's largest gold mine…Local opposition is very strong, in particular against the Conga gold mining project, owned by US-based Newmont Mining, Compania de Minas Buenaventura and the World Bank's International Finance Corporation…[E]nvironmental human rights defenders (HRDs) insist that, if the project is implemented…[there will be] disastrous impact on the environment as well as on access to water…Opposition to the growing impact and presence of extractive industries has resulted in intense social protests in the areas affected…[E]nvironmental HRDs who carry out legitimate and peaceful activities in the defense of the rights of indigenous or campesino communities have been the direct target of death threats, physical attacks, surveillance, stigmatisation, smear campaigns, and judicial harassment…Front Line Defenders urges the Peruvian authorities to prioritise the protection of human rights defenders working on issues related to the extractive industries…