Barclays: Peru Needs Systematic Solution to Social Conflicts

Barclays Capital said Peru’s government needs a systematic solution to social demands in the mining sector, rather than “putting out fires” amid opposition to individual projects. “The issue is political since we have seen social demands that need to be resolved systematically or structurally and not necessarily by putting out fires,” said Barclays Capital’s Roberto Melzi, [...]

Garcia Backs Humala’s Approach to Conga Protests

Ex-President Alan Garcia, in one of his first interviews since leaving office in July, told Radio Programas this week that he backs the government’s efforts to advance the Minas Conga gold and copper project. Garcia said that President Ollanta Humala’s cabinet chief, Oscar Valdes, was responsible and serious in seeking to restart a dialogue with [...]

Interior Minister Valdes Calls for Regional Govts to Take Role In Preventing Conflicts

Interior Minister Oscar Valdes said Friday that Peru’s police will be seeking greater cooperation from regional governments to prevent social conflicts, state news agency Andina reported. “We will ask the regional governments to start to lead proposals, to look at the problems that their population has and encourage a dialogue, because the police can’t be everywhere [...]

Social conflicts caused 191 deaths during Garcia’s administration

Social conflicts in Peru, often a result of disputes between natural resource extraction and communities, resulted in 191 deaths during former President Alan Garcia’s administration, according to daily La Republica. The head of the prime minister’s office for social conflict management, Victor Caballero, said that 153 of the deaths were civilians and 38 were military and police. [...]

Peru sees 214 social conflicts in July – Defensoria

Peru’s national ombudsman, the Defensoria del Pueblo, said Tuesday that it registered 214 social conflicts in the country in July. Social conflicts soared during ex-President Alan Garcia’s administration, leading to numerous deaths as well as delays to many mining and energy projects. According to the Defensoria, 118 of the conflicts are related to socio-environmental issues. Twenty-two [...]

Environment Minister says tackling social conflicts is “urgent”

Peru’s Environment Minister Ricardo Giesecke said Monday that tackling social conflicts in the country will be an “urgent” task in his portfolio, state news agency Andina reported. Social conflicts sky-rocketed during the Alan Garcia’s administration. When Garcia took office in 2006, Peru’s ombudsman – the Defensoria del Pueblo – reported about 80 social conflicts in the [...]

Ombudsman’s office calls for territorial planning to reduce conflicts

Peru’s national ombudsman – the Defensoria del Pueblo – said Friday that the government needs to promote territorial planning to define areas exclusively for agriculture to avoid future social conflicts, state news agency Andina reported. “A policy for land demarcation is basic so these activities can develop in a compatible way with the environment,” said [...]

UN indigenous rights expert calls on Peru to improve dialogue

The UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of indigenous peoples, James Anaya, urged Peru’s government on Wednesday to improve dialogue with indigenous peoples involved in recent anti-mining protests in Puno. Aymara communities began protests in early May calling for the cancellation of a silver project owned by Canadian firm Bear Creek Mining and the suspension [...]

Ex-PM Simon urges Humala to focus on conflicts in central, southern Peru

The incoming government of President-elect Ollanta Humala will need to provide more attention to central and southern Peru in order to reduce social conflicts, said former Prime Minister Yehude Simon. Simon recommends Humala form a team aimed at preventing protests, state news agency Andina reported. Over the past few months, social conflicts have led to numerous [...]

Tourists leave Puno amid escalating protests

More than 200 tourists who were stranded in southern Peru’s Puno department due to protests against mining activities have managed to leave the area, according to the president of the Regional Chamber of Tourism (Caretur), Manuel Quiñones. The tourists were able to leave the region through the airport at Juliaca, state news agency Andina reported. [...]

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