LIMA (Reuters) – Peruvian police on Thursday are carrying out a second day of evictions at MMG’s Las Bambas copper mine, seeking to remove a remaining indigenous community that had camped inside company property in a protest, a community adviser told Reuters.
The action at the Chinese-owned Las Bambas, which supplies 2% of the world’s copper, follows an eviction on Wednesday of a separate community that had also camped inside the mine, settling near its massive open pit.
The company had no immediate comment. Peru is the world’s No. 2 copper producer and mining is a key source of tax revenue.
Las Bambas suspended operations on April 20 after communities had settled inside the mine, which they say has not It is unclear when the mine will be able to resume production, which remains halted for safety reasons.
Las Bambas said in a security filing late on Wednesday that it had successfully evicted the Fuerabamba community, which had been demanding the return of their ancestral lands, but that the Huancuire community remained inside company property.
“Yes, they are coming from three different directions, they are already coming in,” Alexander Raul, an adviser to the Huancuire community told Reuters, referring to police officers.
Huancuire sold land to Las Bambas in recent years to make way for a planned mine expansion later this year. But Raul and Huancuire residents allege the mine has not fully honored all commitments under the sale agreement and that profits have not trickled down to their community, allegations the company denies.
Under Peruvian law, property owners can use force to expel trespassers during the first 15 days of an invasion, a legal statute that was invoked by Las Bambas this week, according to a company statement.
Peru’s left-wing government said on Thursday that it had not participated in the evictions, but that the national police had participated to support the company’s right to expel trespassers.
(Reporting by Marcelo Rochabrun; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
