Peru says ‘no’ in mining vote

For the second time, communities in northern Peru have rejected a controversial mining project in a popular referendum.
English

The results, reported by agencies on Monday, went against Minera Majaz, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the London-based mining company Monterrico Metals, which was taken over earlier this year by China’s Xiamen Zijin Tongguan Investment Development Company when it acquired 89.9 percent of the mining company’s shares.

Communities in the highland province of Piura have opposed Minera Majaz’s operations in the area since the company began to explore for copper and molybdenum in 2002.

The preliminary results of a study by researchers at the University of Texas showed that the exploration phase of the Río Blanco mining project caused damage to the area’s biodiversity.

See full story