Last Friday, the Peruvian government blocked all mining exploration licenses for the Vinicunca, also known as Rainbow Mountain or Mountain of the Seven Colors.
Located in southeastern Peru, near Cusco, the once capital of the Inca Empire, and the ruins of Machu Picchu, the colorful hillsides of the area attract around a thousand tourists a day to Vinicunca, which means Seven Colored Mountain in the local Quechua language”, said El Comercio.
Nevertheless, the colors also attract the attention of mining companies, who believe they suggest that the area has copper ore, iron and other minerals.
A unit of Camino Minerals Corp., based in Canada, was awarded a mining concession in March, sparking protests from local communities. Although the company reported in June that they would renounce mining rights in the area, the uncertainty surrounding the future of the area remained until very late on Friday, when a presidential decree prohibited mining activity in the area for 12 months.
(Source)
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