The expansion of mining operations in the Andean Region of South America are threatening the very existence of several indigenous communities in Peru, Columbia and Bolivia.
More than 40 communities with at least 500 families have been devastated by pollution from the Caudalosa mine after a dam near Peru’s Escalera River collapsed last June. The dam’s failure sent over 500 tons of hazardous waste into the River and its tributaries.
In April 2009, the multinational Korea Resource Corporation made an agreement with a Bolivian state-owned company to exploit new copper deposits through an open-pit mining operation for a period of 30 years. The agreement was made without consulting the Ayamara Pakajaqi indigenous people who own the affected territory or even conducting an environmental impact assessment.
The U.S.-owned Muriel Mining Company has built a mine within the sacred territory of the Embera people, on the border of the Choco and Antioquia departments in Colombia. This was done without any consultation with the indigenous community.
In particular, no consultations were carried out with the project-affected communities. The government agency that should have been in charge of the consultation process was not yet functioning. In fact, Bolivia has not yet created this agency, nor has it allocated the necessary resources to carry out its mandate.
Dr Wing was the founding Chairman of Hampton Mining Pty Ltd and Chairman of Metminco Limited from 2010 to 2017. Metminco was an ASX 300 company with copper assets in Peru and Chile. As Chairman of Metminco, Phil had responsibility for the company’s dual listing on the ASX and AIM market in the UK.
Graeme is the founding CFO and Company Secretary of Andean Mining Limited. He is a Fellow of CPA and the Governance Institute of Australia with significant experience as a public company CFO and Company Secretary, focused on finance, administration and governance roles.
This guide describes aspects of the mining process, the dangers you and your community face when mining companies seek to operate in your community, and the many ways you can fight back. It is intended for use by regional/national leaders who can work with local community leaders to plan local actions, and who can also do work at the governmental, national, and international levels.
Mining and other extractive industries are among the most destructive activities on the planet, especially for indigenous and farming communities. The minerals, metals, fuel, and timber that extractive industries seek are very profitable, so resisting them requires hard work.
Although mining companies are powerful, they are also vulnerable. There are ways to stop them. It may take years, but the results are worth it. At stake is the cultural survival and well-being of your community, your environment, and your ability to make a living — now and for years to come.
Hudbay operates the Constancia open-pit copper mine in southern Peru. John had filmed there in late 2014, when the community of Uchuccarco was protesting the company’s failure to live up to promises related to environmental monitoring, jobs, and social projects. Women were out in particularly strong numbers.
John and I were convinced that Hudbay was involved. But the company denied any role.