Living in Peru : your everyday companion

Living in Peru
Israel J. Ruiz

Demanding more benefits for those living in the area and environmental protection, hundreds of residents in Sandia, a province north of Lake Titicaca in the region of Puno, took over Untuca mine four days ago.

Aside from taking the mine over, townspeople in Sandia took 29 workers belonging to Cartagena Mining Group hostage.

According to local reports, approximately 500 people are involved in the takeover.

It was reported that hiring more people from the area is among their main requests.

The townspeople have also requested that a drilling project be stopped because of environmental damage.

The people that took the mine over are demanding 30 percent ownership of the mine, said Ernesto Bendezú, a representative of the Cartagena Group.

Bendezú affirmed that the company would not negotiate with the townspeople until they released the 29 workers they had taken hostage.

"We hope these people will reflect and consider they are committing crimes, as a first sign that they are changing their attitude they should put down their weapons and release the people. We can't speak with a weapon pointed at us," Bendezú said.

He added that the company was not Chilean, like many believed, and affirmed that it was 100% Peruvian.

"We are a small mining company, production doesn't even reach 250 tons per day and we only have 120 workers, the majority of which are from the region.

It was reported that 150 police officers had been sent to the mine to control the situation.