Peru: Despite of thousands of mine workers contract COVID-19, government moves to reopen economy

Autor/in: World Socialist Web Site, Veröffentlicht am: 13 August 2020

“Peru reopens economy as thousands of miners contract COVID-19” – 11 August 2020

…More than 300 workers at Pan American Silver’s La Arena mine in the region of La Libertad downed tools to protest the growing number of COVID-19 cases at the mine and a lack of testing. Workers fear they could transmit the disease to their families when they go on break, according to a statement from the FNTMMSP, the national mining and metallurgical workers union. The population of Tambo Valley initiated protests opposing the reactivation of Southern Copper’s Tia Maria copper project, in the southern region of Arequipa for fear of further infections and concerns over toxic waste contamination. Social organizations and peasant communities denounced an “excessive presence” of trucks transporting minerals for Las Bambas mining company, in the region of Apurimac that exposed workers and communities to COVID-19… China is the largest foreign investor in Peru’s mining projects, but US, Canadian, Australian and British imperialism assert immense influence through the consortiums that control multibillion-dollar mining operations and projects. The most significant global players, including Anglo-American, Rio Tinto, BHP Billiton, Glencore, Freeport-McMoRan, MMG, Newmont, Pan American Silver, Barrick, Gold Fields, Southern Copper, Doe Run Peru, Consorcio Minero Horizonte, and ZINSA, enjoy some of the world’s most lax corporate laws. Peruvian laws and regulations do not discriminate between national and foreign companies. There are no restrictions on repatriation of earnings, international transfers of capital, or currency exchange practices. The remittance of dividends, interests and royalties has no restrictions. Under a revised fiscal system, mining companies now pay royalties based on their operating profits rather than on sales…

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Betreffende Unternehmen: Anglo American Barrick Gold BHP (formerly BHP Billiton) Consorcio Minero Horizonte, CMH Doe Run (part of Renco) Freeport-McMoRan Glencore Gold Fields Minerals and Metals Group (MMG) (part of China Minmetals) Newmont (formerly Newmont Goldcorp) Pan American Silver Rio Tinto Southern Copper (part of Grupo México)