What I haven't seen in the typical media coverage of the Puno riots:
1. Bear Creek Mining (Santa Ana mining project, Puno) has committed to using new International Mining Standards. Which include independent inspections. There are no reported environmental damages from mines operating under these strict standards designed and sanctioned by The International Council on Mining and Metals (ICCM) and the United Nations. Environmental Impact Studies are still underway. (Update - June, 2011: Environmental Impact Studies have been halted for 12 months because Perú's government has kowtowed to criminal rioters' and terrorists' demands in Puno.)
2. The Santa Ana (Puno) property, of Bear Creek Mining, in dispute is located 140 km (87 miles) south of the city of Puno, 20 km (12.5 miles) south of the paved highway connecting to the port of Ilo, Peru. It isn't even in the same drainage basin as Lake Titicaca or Puno‘s water supplies.
3. Mining is one of the most important sectors of the Peruvian economy and typically represents over 50% of Peruvian exports figures around 4 billion dollars a year. By their very nature large-scale mining is a sector that generates large movements of capital and in 2003 accounted for 4.7% of GDP. Mining has become so important that since 1993, Peru has doubled its production of minerals. In 2005, mining activities accounted for 6 percent of GDP and more than 10 percent of fiscal revenues. Nearly $40bln invested in Peru's mining between 1996 and 2010. The failure of the Santa Ana project (near Puno) would negatively impact future private sector mining investment in Perú.
4. In news reports, which often seem sympathetic to the protesters, they put the number of protesters at 10,000. Personally I would like to know who counted and how they counted 10,000 protesters. But accepting that number consider this: In Peru, 2,519,520 people depend on the mining industry as their primary means of support, resulting in 125,976 direct and 503,904 indirect jobs plus 1,889,640 who depend on workers, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) reported.
5. If Humala is elected President of Perú mining would continue. Only it would be under a nation banner rather than by private sector. There is no assurance Environmental and International Mining Standards would be applied. There is however a high probability, given that mining by government would directly benefit the bureaucrats that are supposed to oversee enforcement of such regulations, that International Mining Standards would be ignored. (Update: Humala has since softened his words about nationalizing mines, but it remains to be seen if he has had a genuine change of heart)
Sources:
AP
Andina
Living in Peru
PR Newswire
ICCM
International Environmental and Human Rights Law Affecting Mining Law Reform
Bear Creek Mining
La Oroya, Perú's government created environmental disaster
Santa Ana Property
Today in Peru
Mining and its economic impact on Perú
Earthworks
Society Hails New Oil and Mining Transparency Standards
The Case for an International Mining Law
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UPDATE: Walter Aduviri
June 15, 2011 8:15am - Walter Aduviri (Criminal Leader of the Puno Riots) is cowering inside Perú's Channel PAN5 TV Station. He is trying to avoid Peruvian authorities and lawful process. The man that lead the costly destruction of Puno's government and private property and sent tourists fleeing in fear from Puno now looks frightened. At one point he could be seen hiding behind an unnamed woman. He has two hundred unruly supporters outside the TV station. Stay Tuned.
A statement by one reporter at the scene rings very true. “The world is watching.” You can bet they are! Especially investors and business people interested in doing business in Perú. Hopefully Perú, for the sake of the vast majority of Perú's population, does not back away from a law and order stance. Walter Aduviri and the other radical terrorist leaders in Puno, who are responsible for the criminal actions that took place during the Puno riots, need to pay for their crimes. Acquiescing to ignorance is the first step toward institutionalizing it.
Walter Aduviri resists arrests and remains inside Lima television station
Story at Living in Peru
======Peru-N-English Comment:
Walter isn’t worried about more fighting. He’s worried about saving his own criminal cowardly hide. I saw his face this morning when he found out the authorities were after him. He was a scared little man, not pensive! Walter is a weasel who has no credible evidence to support his and his rioter’s claims or demands against legitimate businesses. Who have abided by all the rules and invested millions of dollars in studies to protect the environment. Walter says that infiltrators caused the damage in Puno, but quickly shoots back at anyone defending the government with the threat of radicalization of the rioters if their outrageous demands are not met.
Question: Are there no aiding and abetting of a fugitive laws or right of entry warrants in Perú? Panamericana Televisión is just as despicable as Walter!
Comments posted here may be copied to the Peru-N-English Discussion Group site.
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