According to the Peruvian Human Rights Ombudsman, today there are over 20 'latent conflicts' related to extractive activity in the country…The dispute between the Río Blanco operators and nearby communities [began] in…2003, when…Monterrico Metals took over...Locals...argued the firm had never gained the correct permissions to operate on community territory. Monterrico denied this…from 2004 locals organised a series of protest marches...Clashes between demonstrators and police resulted in numerous injuries and occasionally even fatalities. During one notorious incident in 2005 twenty-eight people were detained, allegedly by police and mine security officials, and tortured over several days...[I]n 2009…[t]he project was [temporarily] suspended…[A] date of 2015 was set for work at the site to resume. Today, the project is operated by...Zijin…The firm has sought improved community relations…[however] the issue of permissions remains unresolved…[I]t is difficult to imagine how renewed confrontations can be avoided once Zijin escalates its exploration activities in the area…