El Salvador lawmakers overturn mining ban Bukele called absurd
El Salvador became the first country in the world to ban all forms of metals mining in 2017.
MMG Ltd’s Las Bambas copper mine does not plan to initiate legal action against Peru “for the time being” over a nearly month-long road blockade that has prompted the miner to suspend operations, a company executive said Monday.
The current blockade has been in place since November 20 by residents of Chumbivilcas province who complain that the mineral wealth of the mine simply bypasses them and want the company to provide more jobs and money for the area.
Peru is the world’s no. 2 copper producer and Las Bambas accounts for 2% of world copper supply.
Las Bambas head of legal affairs Claudio Caceres said that company representatives planned to attend a government-convened meeting on Tuesday with the Chumbivilcas communities.
“Currently we’re mainly committed to being able to restart a constructive and real dialogue, at the moment we’re not thinking of taking legal action,” Caceres said in an interview with local radio station RPP.
However, leaders of the Chumbivilcas farming communities had decided not to attend the meeting, according to investigative news outlet OjoPublico.
The Chinese-owned mine, which started operations in 2016 and has been a flashpoint of protests and road blockades since it began, suspended production indefinitely as of Saturday.
(Editing by Bernadette Baum)
Comments
Jeff Walker
Of course they aren’t going to pursue legal action. If they did; whatever would be the result of that legal action would cost them money. There is no upside to suing a governmental jurisdiction in which you are not based. The odds are really bad even if you are based there. As an example, have you followed Rio Tinto’s continuing struggles with Mongolia.
Mining is now just a ‘how may I kiss your ass, Mr. bureaucrat?’ in almost every jurisdiction. Presently, the US is the best place to conduct mining business. And anyone with US mining experience knows they are not free to mine. You are just freer than in the rest of the world.