Mr. Campos, a resident of Peru’s Cajamarca province, where the Conga mine is planned, was among at least 24 protestors injured on November 29, 2011. He alleges he was shot by Peruvian National Police officers, under contract to Minera Yanacocha, a joint venture majority-owned and managed by Newmont. In addition to being permanently paralyzed, Mr. Campos lost a kidney and his spleen as a result of the brutality.
In response to the ruling, Mr. Campos stated: “I am very happy about this news that the judge in Colorado has done justice because here in Peru there is no real justice for farmers.” Both a criminal investigation against the two commanding police officers and a civil lawsuit against the police are currently proceeding in Peru. Mr. Campos is represented in Peru by the National Coordinator for Human Rights.
“This decision requires Newmont to turn over numerous documents that we hope will shed light on the events leading to the shooting and paralysis of Mr. Campos,” said ERI attorney Marissa Vahlsing. The evidence includes photos and videos relating to protests near the Conga mine, reports of Yanacocha security, communications between Yanacocha and the police, and internal company communications. The court also granted Mr. Campos’s request to take a deposition of a Newmont representative.
Mar Perez, an attorney with the National Coordinator for Human Rights, added, “Peru has seen many cases of repression of protestors in recent years. This U.S. court decision will strengthen Mr. Campos’s ability to obtain justice here in Peru, and enable our courts to fully investigate his case.”