"Why is Peru’s Las Bambas copper mine in constant conflict?" 22 April 2022

Once again, Peru’s Las Bambas copper mine, one of the world’s largest copper mines, is in the news for the wrong reasons. As part of a protest, last week community members occupied company land at the site, operated by China Minmetals Corporation (China MMG), causing it to suspend operations again. Protestors allege that China MMG, which contributes an average of 1% to Peru’s GDP through the project, failed to comply with various agreements.

Las Bambas seems to live in constant conflict. In March, communities demanding better living conditions blocked the road along which the ore is transported. Blockades on the same road also forced the mine’s closure at the end of 2021.

So why does the operation cause so much friction? [...]

Las Bambas’ complex problems

A January 2022 report by Peru’s Ombudsman, the body tasked with protecting citizen rights, reported nine active socio-environmental conflicts over Las Bambas – five in Apurímac and four in Cusco. From the first in 2011 to today’s disputes, all relate to different claims.

The most recent conflict occurred in July 2021. Six communities and other groups in Chumbivilcas called for Resolution 372-2018-MTC, the law designating communal roads as a higher-level national route, not to be recognised.

The Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM), the prime minister’s office, has also monitored the situation along the mining corridor. A document it published this January found nine cases of social conflict in the area, although not all mention Las Bambas.

At the end of March, another front of conflict emerged, as the community of Huancuire in Cotabambas rejected the government’s approval of the expansion of the mine that same month. The decision would allow mineral exploitation at Chalcobamba, one of Las Bambas’ three deposits, and could boost annual production to around 400,000 tonnes of ore.

At present, ore is extracted from Ferrobamba, which has been operating since 2016. But the expansion and its integration with the entire mining complex requires approval of a fourth Modification of the Environmental Impact Assessment (MEIA), which was initiated in June 2020 and is still pending. The EIA and MEIA must also be presented for public consultation. [...]