Interior Minister Wildredo Pedraza said Friday that the government is evaluating whether it should lift the state of emergency in the north Andean region of Cajamarca.
The state of emergency, which suspends civil liberties, was enacted in three provinces in Cajamarca in early July following violent protests against the Minas Conga gold and copper project, majority held by U.S.-based Newmont Mining.
The 30-day state of emergency was later extended in early August. Efforts to restart talks between the government and protest leaders fell apart after the state of emergency was extended. Five people were killed in early July during the protests.
“The issue is in the process of being evaluated,” Pedraza told Ideeleradio on Friday.
The Minas Conga project is being opposed by a large section of the population in Cajamarca because they fear it would harm their water supply. As part of its original mine plan, Newmontwas to drain four mountain lakes and channel the water sources to reservoirs. These reservoirs were to increase the water supply to local residents, according to the company.
The project would be Peru’s largest private-sector investment in history, requiring expenditures of about $5.0 billion.
The Negativism Law proposed to Congress is bound to impact protesters.