A September report by the Peruvian ombudsman revealed a total of 136 active “socio-environmental” conflicts in the country, accounting for more than two thirds of all social conflicts it recorded, with most cases linked to mining activity.

The complaints raised by affected communities cover issues ranging from the contamination of drinking water for humans and animals, to the dust generated by mining activities, among other grievances. But relations between residents and companies have also become more complex over time: in some cases, the communities have begun to demand shares in mining projects, or to receive compensation from their activities.

Disagreements at Las Bambas

On arriving in the Indigenous community of Chicñahui, located in the province of Cotabambas, in Peru’s Apurímac region, what is most striking is [...]the metallic stench that fills the air.

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Some residents in Chicñahui claim that no one has yet come to discuss or verify their complaints. However, the environment ministry’s Agency for Environmental Assessment and Enforcement (OEFA) says otherwise.

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Diálogo Chino’s investigation found that disagreements over mining have increased within several communities. Some want to derive more benefits from projects, while others point to difficulties they claim have arisen due to mining where they live.

Just a few kilometres from Chicñahui, Alejandro Pinares, [...] a resident of the community of Chuicuni, fears […] not knowing whether his crops and livestock will survive. So far this year, 100 of his sheep have died. He attributes these difficulties to the impacts of the nearby Las Bambas mine.

Others have sought to pressure mining companies into providing direct benefits to surrounding populations, including the communities of Fuerabamba and Huancuire [...]. The community members denounced that their agreements with the company had not been fulfilled.

Diálogo Chino made several approaches to MMG over the alleged contamination and the company’s relations with communities, but the company declined to comment.

Antapaccay: a decade of grievances

Seven hours from Las Bambas in Peru’s Cusco region lies the Antapaccay mining project, run by the Swiss multinational Glencore, which took over in 2013 following a merger with previous owner Xstrata Tintaya. For a decade, members of communities near the copper mining operation have been demanding an investigation into environmental contamination and health risks in the area. [...]

Studies published in 2012 and 2021 confirmed that populations in the province of Espinar, where Huancané Bajo is located, are exposed to, among other toxic substances, arsenic, mercury and lead, which can cause damage to multiple systems in the human body, according to the World Health Organization (WHO). However, it has not since been determined whether mining activity is the cause of this pollution.[...]

Compañía Minera Antapaccay, the Glencore subsidiary that operates the Antapaccay mine, has been sanctioned on several occasions. [...]

Glencore and Minera Antapaccay were approached for comment, but no response was received.