9 July 2012 | Videos | Water | Resisting neoliberalism | Human rights | Extractive industries | Social activists at risk
Frightening
Activists against mining repressed: murdered civilians, arbitrary arrests and other human rights violations
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Five people were murdered in Celendin province, Cajamarca department, Peru, in the past days for demonstrating against the Conga mining project. Three of them were killed on July 3rd, when the police repressed a mobilization against the project. The other two people died in the following days as a result of the injuries suffered during the confrontation.
Tens of people were injured, police officers among them, and several people were arrested. Celendin is one of the areas most affected by Conga. On July 4th, another civilian was murdered in a confrontation between demonstrators and the police in Bambamarca, capital city of Hualgayoc province, also in Cajamarca department.
The Peruvian government led by Ollanta Humala decreed a state of emergency in Hualgayoc, Cajamarca and Celendin Provinces and suspended some constitutional guarantees such as the freedom of assembly and movement and the inviolability of domicile (police officers can enter homes at any time).
On July 4th, former priest Marco Arana, one of the leaders of the resistance against Conga, was violently attacked and arrested by the police in Cajamarca, while sitting at a public square holding a sign in rejection to mining. Arana was taken to the local police station and released the following day.
On May 28th, Humala’s administration had decreed a state of emergency in Espinar province, Cusco department, after the police repressed a peasant demonstration against Tintaya mining project, which resulted in the death of two civilians and tens of injured people. Tens of people were arrested, especially leaders of the affected communities.
Social organizations from different parts of the world are denouncing that four people were murdered for demonstrating against this copper extraction project of Swiss company Xstrata.
Several civil society groups from around the world have sent letters to Peruvian embassies to express their concern over the increasing violence against the populations that are going through serious socio-environmental conflicts.
The attacks during repressions by the police are extreme. The case of Arana’s arrest was covered at international level because the activist was sitting on a bench, with a small sign in rejection to mining, when he was violently attacked by police officers. The leader only asked the police officers not to beat him.
Arana is member of the environmentalist organization Grufides, one of the community references in the resistance to mining and a leader of political group “Tierra y Dignidad”.
The Conga gold and copper project of Yanacocha company was officially authorized after the company accepted the new conditions imposed by president Humala, among them, preserving two of the four lakes that were going to be destroyed, the creation of water reservoirs, 10,000 jobs, and a social fund, according to EFE.
The people who oppose the project called a regional general strike in Cajamarca, which will reach its 40th day. They are demanding the national government to declare the project is not viable because they believe the negative impacts on the water reserves of the region will be irreparable.
