Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Lima (Agenzia Fides) - After a week of heated protests against the Conga mining project, which caused five deaths in Cajamarca, the government of Peru has maintained a state of emergency in the region (see Fides 05/07/2012 and 04/07 / 2012) and finally declared the beginning of a dialogue mediated by the Catholic Church. The same President of Peru, Ollanta Humala, announced it to the local press.
In the note sent to Fides Agency, it informs that today, Monday, July 9, the President of the region of Cajamarca, Gregory Santos, will receive the Archbishop of Trujillo and former President of the Episcopal Conference, His Exc. Mgr. Miguel Cabrejos, accompanied by the priest Gaston Garatea, to establish dialogue and propose ways of a definite solution to the problem.
The inhabitants of Cajamarca have been on strike for more than 30 days to protest against the Conga mining project, which envisages an investment of around 4,800 million dollars. The population fears the contamination of local water supplies with heavy consequences on their lives. The government gave the green light to the works after the Company Yanacocha (which always belongs to the Conga project) had apparently accepted the new conditions imposed by the President of Peru, Ollanta Humala. These include the maintenance of two of the four lakes that will be dried up in order to extract gold and copper; to create a reserve of water 4 times higher than originally proposed; to create a social fund and 10,000 jobs. But the population is skeptical about the fulfillment of commitments by the mining companies. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 09/07/2012)
