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Economy | 4 August, 2006 [ 11:15 ]

Violent confrontation at Yanacocha Gold Mine causes 1 death and 2 kidnappings (-Update-)

One person dead and at least ten wounded is the result of a violent confrontation between a group of local protesters, police and employees at the facilities of mining company Yanacocha in the district La Encañada in Cajamarca.

Reasons for the protest are mainly the people's fear to remain without water resources due to the mining activities in the area, the demand for greater investment by Yanacocha in regional social development and to create more jobs.

According to accounts by protesters the confrontation led to the death of Isidro Llanos Echeverría from the town of Combayo. Several protesters were wounded and four arrests were made.

Today, the mining company Yanacocha released an official press release detailing the confrontation from its perspective:

(translated reproduction)

After the tragic events that occurred on our property on August 2nd, 2006, Yanacocha issues the following communiqué:

Yesterday morning a group of more than 100 people entered the properties of Yanacocha at the Carachugo Project. The group, led by Sixto Chunque, Antero Julón and Mario Chávez, tried to forcefully and violently obtain contracts with Yanacocha.

We tried unsuccessfully to create a dialogue with the group and to persuade them to leave the premises. The group showed an unrelenting attitude the whole time and attacked our security personnel. A confrontation with police occurred that ended with the arrest of four people and the kidnapping of a Yanacocha security agent and an employee of one of our contractors, whose whereabouts and state of health are still unknown.

District attorney Alfredo Rebaza, who was present at the time, received information that a person had passed away. Nevertheless, the group itself prevented authorities from verifying the tragic death and its cause. Around 7 p.m. the district attorney left.

During the night a group of 4 journalists tried to gain access to our premises to gather information. They were temporarily retained and released hours later. However, one of the journalists made it to the location where the corpse had been kept and managed to take photographs.

Today, in the morning, the district attorney released the 4 journalists.

The group of people and its leaders remained on Yanacocha property, their aggressive and unrelenting attitude has not changed.

Yanacocha maintains a good relation and permanent dialogue with the population of Combayo and its authorities, which has allowed creating the "Development Committee of Combayo" in which local authorities participate.

At the moment 4 regional companies work at the Carachugo Project, they were proposed by the Combayo's own community. In addition, more than 120 settlers from Combayo work at the Carachugo Project, they were also proposed by the community. Also a development program for Combayo exists for an amount of almost 5 million Soles, whose efforts and works are prioritized by the community.

This it is not a water problem, since the Development Committee and authorities of Combayo, with our participation, initiated a water study and a special "Water Monitoring Committee" was founded where also authorities of Cajamarca - like the district's Technical Administration of Irrigation, participate. When the Development Committee of Combayo was formed, Yanacocha committed itself not to use water from the Azufre River for mining purposes, a promise we kept.

Yanacocha is sorry that the events have caused the death of a person at our place, and is convinced that any discrepancy or conflict must be solved by dialogue, without resorting to violence and forceful measures whose consequence is this tragic death of a person.

Cajamarca, 3 of August , 2006
Management of External Relations

August 4, 2006, 11:00 a.m. - Update:

A Yanacocha spokesperson informed that “Fortunately, the group of protestors has now released the body of the deceased elderly gentleman to the local authorities. The protestors have also now released the two Yanacocha contractors, both of whom are safe and unharmed.”


read also this related articles:
-----------------------------

Peru peasants take miners hostage to demand jobs (by Reuters)

Protestors spell trouble for Newmont at Yanacocha (by Resource Investor)

tags : Peru economy law justive protests Cajamarca Yanacocha Combayo mining business community

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5 Comments

# Goldminer says :
4 August, 2006 [ 02:01 ]

I received some information about the same topic from a NGO in Cajamarca. I think neither the campesinos nor Yanacocha are really innocente in this conflict which is very complex. Yanacocha´s statement that there are always have been good relationsship is very questionable. I was in January in this region of Peru and I noticed a lot of tension!!!! There were also peaceful protests - people demanding clean water, NOT jobs at Yanacocha ... but like always peaceful protests are mostly ignored by mainstream media.
If you speak Spanish and are interested in another point of view, view this:

Blog: Mining, Gold and Sustainability

# Wolfy says :
4 August, 2006 [ 13:04 ]

interesting information, Goldminer! It's always nice to get some sort of 'eye-witness' account. You are absolutely right, the coin always has a flip side as it is with any confrontation.

PS: I changed your link to make it "clickable".

# Goldminer says :
4 August, 2006 [ 17:44 ]

Thanks! According to local newspaper the dead protester was killed by three shots in his breast.

# Wolfy says :
4 August, 2006 [ 22:33 ]

here's another update from the Houston Chronicle:

Newmont Settles With Peruvian Protesters

# Goldminer says :
7 August, 2006 [ 03:30 ]

The National Police of Peru and the public prosecutor of Baños del Inca Alfredo Rebaza entered - as part of their investigations in the death of the campesion I.L.E. - into the warehouse of Forza, a security company contracted by Yanacocha, in the area of the mine. They confiscate weapons and munition - a big part of it just autorized for military use!

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