Peru - "Do you see any birds around here?"

“do you see any birds around here?”

resistance to mining in peru

Peru has had an enormous influx of foreign mining companies in recent years, creating terrible environmental and social devastation and bringing minimal employment to the local population . Janneke Bruil, co-coordinator of FoEI's International Financial Institutions programme, recently spent several weeks in Peru, meeting with Labor/FoE Peru and visiting local communities that have been impacted by mining initiatives. Her experiences there illustrate the urgency of FoEI's call for an end to public financing for oil, mining and gas projects around the world.

march 30: metals or mangos?
san lorenzo valley
We are standing on top of a dam, looking out over a beautiful lake. Here the waters of one of northern Peru's main rivers are captured and canalized throughout the San Lorenzo Valley for agricultural purposes. This irrigation project in the Piura region, begun in the 1950s and financed by USAID and the World Bank, is a huge success. What was once little more than inhospitable desert now produces almost all of Peru's famous lemons and much of the nation's mango exports. It provides about 20,000 people with sustainable livelihoods. When I see this green, very fertile area I understand what it means when the farmers say, “Nobody here is rich, but there are no poor either.”

People are hopeful for the future and plan to expand their production for export. However, this dream scenario is highly uncertain now that massive gold reserves have been discovered in the area. Tambogrande, a nice little town in the middle of the valley, is situated right on top of the main ore body. As soon as it became clear that a Canadian company called Manhattan wanted to demolish the village, displacing about 80 percent of the population, the farmers joined arm-in-arm in defence of their livelihoods (see article page 26).

While we enjoy a walk amongst fruit trees, people tell me about the dangers of the proposed mine. It would not only destroy the valley and use massive quantities of water, but would also carry a high risk of contaminating downstream irrigation. Moreover, strong winds in the area would likely cover the valley with dangerous dust from the explosions. On top of that, heavy rains caused by the El Niño phenomenon could flood the toxic pit and spread metals and chemicals throughout the valley. All of this would eventually destroy the sustainable livelihoods that the farmers have so carefully built up. Manhattan has stated that it will soon approach the World Bank for financial support for the mine. Such support would work completely counter to the World Bank-funded irrigation project.

I am told about how a massive demonstration was organized in February 2001, and how Manhattan's encampments were torn to pieces. A month later, the respected agronomist and enlightened resistance leader Godofredo Garc ía Baca was murdered. His son Ul ises , who witnessed the crime, invites me to the memorial service the next day.

march 31: strength and unity
tambogrande
We arrive in Tambogrande in a pickup truck full of people. It is a very hot day. The open-air town hall is filled with friends and admirers of Godofredo Garc ía Baca. There is sadness in the air, but also a lot of strength and unity. Speech after speech makes it clear that Godofredo was an exceptional person in terms of vision and leadership. His spirit is still alive. All the speeches call upon the people of Tambo grande to continue their fight to protect the valley, its extraordinary biodiversity, and the sustainable development of its inhabitants.

I am amazed at these people's awareness. It is not easy to see through the manipulative and intimidating acts of a multinational corporation. But here, people are taking the monster on and defending their right to choose their own development model. The people of Tambogrande are organizing a referendum on June 2nd, in which every citizen can vote whether the mine should be developed or not. This referendum has no legal status however, and will need to be accompanied by international pressure on the government and institutions.

Ulises reminisces about his father, which moves everybody present. He says this is also a day of joy because we remember who we are and what we stand for. The murder remains unresolved, which is a despicable failure of the Peruvian legal system. The process so far has been a total farce and completely in contradiction with international norms. Ever since Godofredo's death, people in the San Lorenzo Valley have felt insecure. I hear many stories of anonymous threats, both physical and through the mail. Even journalists do not feel safe. I wonder if there is any way we could provide protection to these brave people.

april 2: destruction and desolation
yanacocha mine site
My first thought as the bus enters the mine area is, “How dare they!” The sight of this destruction is an enormous shock. Less than ten years of mining operations have ruined the landscape of this part of the Peruvian Andes. While handing out glossy leaflets, a promotional video and Yanacocha bags, the mine staff point out the different mines. Five mountain tops have already been stripped, they tell us proudly. But, they add, the good thing is that they are being re-built following the extraction of the gold.

Do they even understand what they are saying? I feel sad and angry. These peaceful millennia-old Andean mountains have been transformed into a desolate area where nothing will ever grow. My friend asks me, “Do you see any birds around here?” This earth is being polluted and destroyed. Where do people find the arrogance to do this?

Yanacocha engineers explain how this mine adheres to the highest environmental standards. They take us to the water treatment plant to demonstrate how the water is being recycled. Many of our questions remain unanswered, however. “We'll get to that later,” and “That is not my speciality,” are favourite responses.
Two days later I talk to farmers near the streams that descend from the mine. Standards aside, these people have to live with the harsh reality of contamination. Ever since the mine started operations, their animals are sick, their cows hardly give any milk, their corn has stopped growing and the trout and frogs have disappeared from the river. Reduced income coupled with the cost of medicines has made life extremely hard. The farmers don't know what to do or who to turn to. All this misery has simply been imposed upon them.

Meanwhile, although Yanacocha is the most profitable gold mine on the continent, the region is actually twice as poor as before mining operations began. The World Bank Group owns five percent of this mine. Because of all these problems, the local municipality issued an intangibility declaration for the mountain that Yanacocha wants to mine next. However, in its insatiable greed for gold, the mine is now appealing this at a national court. FoE Peru is providing legal support to the municipality.

The mine staff also takes us to one of their community projects. I see a little milk factory, a wood workshop, a trout farm and a hotel. The head of the village is prompted by the mine staff to explain how the mining company supports them. The hypocrisy makes me feel very unwell and I just want to get out of there as soon as possible.

april 3: abandonedchoropampa
As we drive through the mountains, the sun sets slowly over the peaks. The view is a feast for my eyes. Next to me, however, Alfonso and Rocio blink and rub their faces. Their eyes are hurting. Ever since 151 kilograms of mercury was spilled on the road running through Choropampa in mid-2000, their little home town, their vision has deteriorated and their eyes are painful.

We arrive in the village. When the camera team that accompanies us is spotted, the villagers all gather round. An elderly man shouts in desperate anger, “Hundreds of journalists have come over here and still nothing has changed!” Their frustration, and the impact of generations of corruption, is clear. The villagers suspect we will sell our story to the mine and make a lot of money on their misery. The fact that these people have lost all trust and hope is extremely disturbing.

When finally convinced of our good intentions, they provide us with very emotional testimonies. While tears run down her face, an old woman recounts how mercury was accidentally spilled from a Yanacocha mine truck. Not knowing what it was, many people picked up the shiny, highly toxic material in the hope that it was something valuable. Although the local doctor initially told the villagers that mercury causes no harm,
major skin irritations soon occurred, and were followed by aching backs, kidney problems, eye irritation and stomach aches that continue to date.

One 17-year-old student has become blind as a result, and never leaves her house. She has a three-year-old child. “The mine has not sent any qualified specialists , and did not do a good job clean ing up the village. We have been abandoned and forgotten by everybody,” says a woman.

Consultations with a World Bank Group Ombudsman have led nowhere. The spill has also affected incomes, as surrounding villages no longer want to buy anything from Choropampa, fearing it is unsafe. I cannot keep myself from crying. This village, full of such hard working and humble people, is sick and contaminated for life.

april 5: divide and conquer
cajamarca
While I am in the middle of a response to an interview question, the journalist´s mobile phone rings. We are in the studio of what is supposedly Cajamarca's only independent radio station. The Yanacocha mine is on the line, “Shut up immediately and we will give you 100 dollars,” they say. The brave journalist responds politely that he is in the middle of an interview and hangs up. In his hands are a few photos, given to him by the Yanacocha mine. They show me at the mine site and at the community project. A shameless attempt to influence the journalist.

Corruption is deeply rooted in this society, and the mine is said to fit nicely within this system. After our press conference yesterday, I was interviewed by five newspapers and radio stations. Nothing has been published. According to local sources, the mine sponsors two papers and buys up all critical articles. Some journalists reportedly even go straight to the mine to sell their stories. Many journalists are being threatened.

One of the less investigated effects of the mine is its social impact. By hiring and “buying” some and disregarding others, communities are divided. Though it may not be the original objective, this eliminates any united opposition, and has a very disruptive effect on society. Neighbours fight with each other and friends become enemies. “Everybody here has dealings with the mine in one way or another,” says a restaurant owner.

april 10: the battle for water
moquegua valley
The south of Peru is by far the driest region I have ever seen. The mountains here are covered with little more than sand and rock. The battle for water is therefore a daily occurrence. Right here, Minera Quellaveco (in which the World Bank Group is a 20 percent shareholder) wants to start a copper mine. It plans to use 700 litres of water per second, divert a river, dispose of the waste in the river bed without protection, and create a n incredibly deep as deep as both of New York's twin towers. This could be absolutely devastating for local agriculture and cattle raising, especially as it is a seismic and windy area and El Niño can cause heavy rains. Both wind and rain would spread all sorts of contamination throughout the valley.

I am meeting alpaca breeders in Chilota, the wetland area where the mine wants to extract ground water. It is a beautiful place. All sorts of birds fly around and then alight, there are many butterflies, and we even spot a little fox. The alpacas and llamas graze peacefully. They provide many communities with a subsistence income. Farmers tell me that their land will be unusable if the mine extracts water from here. Quellaveco is offering a lot of money for those bits of land with the best water access, although ground water extraction will affect the whole region. This way, even before operations begin, Quellaveco has created conflicts within communities. It has even stated it will send the army if people do not allow them to extract water for the mine.

However, this is a poor region and many people like to believe the dream that the mine will bring prosperity to all. Of course both the company involved (Anglo-American) and the Peruvian government sustain this myth, and claim that there will hardly be any negative impacts. Farmers have been told that the mine is the only way the government will have money to invest in agriculture. Isn't that ironic? FoE Peru is doing an excellent job educating and organizing the poor farmers from different regions. This is tough however, and the political climate is not very favourable.

united against faceless opponent
I note that in all these places, support from Friends of the Earth is much appreciated. People tell me that it revives their morale to hear that they are not alone in their fights. And I contemplate that this works both ways. The struggle against faceless neoliberal greed is not easy for any of us. But many courageous brave people in different places are fighting to protect their lives and the beauty of this planet. I would like to extend my heartfelt gratitude to FoE Peru for organizing an unforgettable trip and linking me up with impressive community organi z ations. Th e is trip ma de kes it clear once again that in order to take life back into our own hands, it is imperative that we unite on many levels to join strengths.

by Janneke Bruil, FoEI, from Peru