In Latin America organizations is increasing, according to government suppression of protests against mining projects. The extraction of raw materials befeuere in addition, social and political unrest.
El Salvador: Protest against mining in the capital, San Salvador.
With its diverse wealth of minerals in Latin America, attracting worldwide investors to the mining industry. According to the UN economic Commission for Latin America and the Caribbean (ECLAC) the Region, for example, about 61 percent of the Lithium reserves in the world. Chile is the world’s leading supplier of copper, Brazil the third largest iron producer, Mexico is the largest silver producer and Peru is quite far forward in the case of silver, copper, Gold and lead. From these four countries, 85 percent of minerals and metal exports from Latin America to come.
But almost everywhere, where a mining company is active, there will be conflicts. According to data from CEPAL, the Region is Latin America, with the most socio-environmental conflicts associated with mining projects in the world.
Peru: protests against the copper project, “Tía María”
“The lack of consent of the affected communities to mining projects is one of the most serious problems with which mining companies in the Region are facing,” says Cesar Padilla, founder of the network for the observation of mining conflicts in Latin America (OCMAL).
According to Susanne Friess, Misereor consultant for mining and development in Latin America, the mining activities have a great influence on the access to Land and water: “In many cases, the mines in the immediate vicinity of the source of water, so that a conflict arises as soon as a company applying for a concession.”
The rejection by the population, manifested in a variety of forms Of Utterances in the media, to open protests. These protests are then on Repression, human rights violations and, often, to a criminalization by the justice system.
The activists from the affected communities complain that they would judge to be Victims of threats, intimidation, abduction, doubt, court, and various forms of violence, including murder.
Ticking Time Bomb
An exemplary case of the mining project, “Tía María” in a rural area of Arequipa, in southern Peru, the refusal of the local population for years. In the suppression of protests in recent years, a total of seven people were killed.
Peru: protests of the municipality of Fuerabamba against mining Las Bambas.
In addition to the wealth of minerals in Latin America provides the company with attractive conditions. In the Ranking of the think-tank Fraser Institute about the most attractive jurisdictions for mining activities, evidenced by Chile, due to its geological characteristics and the policies of its governments, the world’s sixth place, and the first among the Latin American countries.
An unequal fight
The affected residents are watching with concern the impact of such projects on the environment. For the access to clean water for agricultural use in the Region and the consequences for nature conservation areas. “The residents often have no water or it is polluted. In addition, the mining required to access, in which the ownership is unclear,” says Friess.
The Misereor consultant, sees this as a fight between David and Goliath: “In Latin America, a struggle between very powerful mining companies and municipalities with very limited possibilities. The municipalities feel of the company and from the state at a disadvantage. You have to pay for a policy of maximum resource extraction and the benefit of, at the very least.”
In addition to the specific problems, explains the mining expert, there was also the participation of the affected residents in all stages of the process: “you may speak to nothing, but should submit to the decisions of others.” However, “you are not ready to give up without a fight, because they know of similar cases in your Region or your country,” said Friess.