The following corresponds to the graphic report published by the reactionary newspaper El País, which, in spite of the source, must be taken into account in order to weigh how the old semi-feudal and semicolonial Peruvian society, where a bureaucratic capitalism unfolds, develops, because there it is briefly and graphically shown, despite the limitations of the author's class, how the foreign direct investment of imperialism, in this case of Chinese social imperialism, does not bring true development, it does not serve to improve the productive forces of the country but binds them, distorts them and it is a source of greater misfortunes for the masses, in this case our immense peasant masses. Foreign direct investment does not bring more than a modernization (bureaucratic capitalism) of what suits imperialism, the world market, and its intermediary lackeys of the big bourgeoisie (comprador and bureaucratic) and the big landlords. Read the report:
Translated from Nuevo Peru website.
The impact of one of the largest copper mines in the world - 18 photos
This is how the indigenous communities of the Andes that surround Las Bambas live, the largest extractive project in the history of Peru
Monday, April 01, 2019
1.- 10 years ago, Challhuahuacho, at 4,000 meters above sea level, was a small remote village of adobe houses with thatched roofs in the poorest province of the Peruvian Andes. Today it is a dusty city of unfinished brick buildings and unpaved roads, home to the largest mining project in the history of Peru.
2.- The municipal budget in 2018 was 16 million dollars, compared with only 250,000 dollars five years earlier. This growth is not reflected in the streets. The mayor is in custody, accused of money laundering.
3.- Leoncio is the president of Paranami, a town of 800 people in the area of Las Bambas. Leoncio explains that the mine and the municipality are actively seeking to take control of the community's lands. "There is corruption in the government. Las Bambas bribes everyone, including the mayor and other officials. These officials let Las Bambas threaten us. They tell us they will not give projects to our community unless we sell our land. "
4.- Maria, 47, wearing a red jacket, walking from her village to Las Bambas. She is the president of Chuicuni Bajo, a town of 200 residents adjacent to the mine. There are electricity poles that go from her village to the mine, but Chuicuni Bajo has no current. María has received death threats for speaking about the environmental rights of her community. She says there have been several attempts to burn down her town. "They sold us, our water is contaminated, our animals are dying, we have no work, we feel that our days are numbered, two years ago, 70 police officers showed up with riot gear to form a line around our entire community. holes in the fence posts to permanently separate us from our traditional grazing land near the mine. Our women tirelessly tried to stop the construction of the fence. Now it is an electric fence with barbed wire. If we try to cross, the mine police will catch us or shoot us. "
5.- Las Bambas directly employs approximately 2,000 workers in the area. Hundreds of additional workers are hired by mining subcontractors.
6.- In towns such as Chuicuni Bajo, near the mine, water is scarce. The neighbors complain that it is contaminated, affecting their health and their farms.
7.- Las Bambas has a social development program dedicated to employment, reforestation and education. Locals perceive that these programs do not meet their needs.
8.- Sonia, 24, can see the mine from her house. She says that her son, in the picture, is often sick with diarrhea and has rashes on his back and legs. "All the children of the town are getting sick. We do not know what to do to help them. The dust of the mine covers everything. Orange clouds fill the skies. I hear explosions. Every night we feel as if we were having an earthquake. My son wakes up from the shake and runs to our bed. We all want to leave the town, but we have nowhere to go. "
9.- Challhuahuacho has become a community of male workers temporarily brought from other parts of the country. The local population is rarely hired by the mine or its contractors. The town is watched closely by the police and security agents. The central government declared a state of emergency in the area, which continues to this day.
10.- Access to basic education and health services is a distant dream for the 38 Quechua agricultural communities in the area. A person with a serious health problem must travel eight hours by car to a hospital in Cusco.
11.- Las Bambas requires 250 trucks a day to move the materials extracted through dusty roads, creating environmental challenges and social upheaval.
12. Amílcar Romero, 32, chairman of Ankawa International, a Peruvian human rights organization, takes a water sample near Las Bambas for an environmental study. "Challhuahuacho is an area where informality, illegality and corruption become one. For example, local police are bribed by the mine. The same happens with other important officials in Lima who are bought or influenced by Las Bambas. I have information that the environmental impact studies presented by Las Bambas to the central government were reworked. The government is closing its eyes. Anyone who has tried to do things correctly here has immediately lost his job or been taken to court for strange reasons. Even academics who present data to clarify the situation are intimidated by the authorities, or even detained. In other words, criticizing the mine has become equivalent to criticizing the state. "
13.- Local communities meet to discuss their rights in an attempt to strengthen themselves and combat the social effects of the mine, which include the increase in alcoholism and suicides. The local police are authorized to use force against foreigners and protesters. The protests against Las Bambas intensified again in August 2018.
14.- Melanie Stutsel, an executive based in Melbourne (Australia) who works for the MMG company, leafs through books at the Kramerbooks store in Washington, DC. Stutsel is the General Director of Security, Environment and Social Performance of MMG, the Chinese company that owns Las Bambas. "In my weekly reports to the executive committee, I can not remember the last time I reported on the breach of an environmental problem. We know that more needs to be done. We take all claims seriously, especially those that affect the livelihood of the locals. " Stutsel explains that taxes and royalties have significantly increased the local government budget since Las Bambas began operations. "The government does not have the capacity to deal with this amount of money, but we have zero tolerance for corruption, and we have not found any validity in any accusation of bribery or corruption against Las Bambas."
15.- This is Nueva Fuerabamba, a small artificial city built to relocate 500 indigenous families who sold their land to Las Bambas. Unlike the surrounding traditional communities, Nueva Fuerabamba has electricity, water, a school and a health center. Unable to adapt, many relocated families have abandoned their new homes.
16.- The Peruvian Ministry of Health estimates that half of children under 5 in the area suffer from chronic malnutrition and anemia.
17.- Las Bambas requires 250 trucks a day to move the extracted materials through dusty roads, creating environmental challenges and social upheaval.
18.- This is the electric fence that separates the mine and the indigenous settlements.
According to the report:
The impact of one of the largest copper mines in the world
18 Pictures
This is how the indigenous communities of the Andes that surround Las Bambas live, the largest extractive project in the history of Peru
Raúl Román
1 APR 2019 - 07:23 CEST
https://elpais.com/.../2019/03/27/album/1553708073_149421.html
