About a week ago an ecological disaster took place in the region of Huancavelica [1], one of the main mining zones in the country which paradoxically also has one of the poorest populations. Like the news [es] [2] from Servindi Perú report: “The dam holding the tailings [3]of the Caudalosa chica mine burst on Friday June 25 at 8 in the night spreading its toxic waste on river Opamayo”. It should be noted that this river was already quite contaminated [es] [4] due to highly active mining [5] in the areas it runs through, preventing the use of its adjacent lands for agriculture. The contamination (more than 21,000 m3 [es] [6] of tailings) has extended [es] [7] through an area of 70 kilometers (43.5 miles), implicating the Mantaro [8]and Urubamba [9]rivers, which could reach the Amazon.
Subsequently, it was said that this disaster could have been prevented; as it appears [es] [10] in El Comercio, the mayor of Huachocolpa (one of the affected communities) said that “during 2009 Osinergmin had inspected the mine and detected problems in the storage of the A tailings, but there was no comprehensive follow-up of the improvement of these deficiencies.” And it is not the first time [es] [11] that this happens with this mine. Consequently, the state was sued [es] [12] for putting the lives of the residents in risk. Congress has also requested giving sanctions [es] [13] to the mining company which is responsible for the incident. Later, the Minister of Environment declared a state of environmental emergency [es] [14] for 90 days in the area affected by the spill of the mining tailings.
But sanctions will not get rid of the fact that the damage is already done, and for this reason the people of Huancavelica have decided to protest. Living in Peru informs [15]that, “The residents of Aymaraes, a province in Huancavelica region, will start a 48-hour strike tomorrow, July 7, in protest against the pollution generated by toxic waste spread into the Opamayo river.” All these events have generated some, but not a lot, of reactions from the Peruvian blogosphere. Let's see for example Jorge Manco Zaconetti from the blog Kuraka: Minería y Energía who analyzes [16] the issue [es] [16] in general terms:
La pésima imagen que tiene el sector minero en el Perú es producto de la ausencia de una genuina política de responsabilidad social, ambiental y tributaria, lo cual se expresa en un crecimiento empobrecedor inducido por una coyuntura internacional favorable. A ello debiera sumarse la impunidad que tienen algunas empresas mineras respecto al manejo ambiental de sus pasivos mineros, al alto grado de contaminación que generan sus operaciones como la falta de mantenimiento de las relaveras y la ausencia de medidas para prevenir emergencias ambientales. Es inaceptable desde el punto de vista social y moral que con las elevadas utilidades mineras obtenidas en los últimos años existan tragedias ambientales como la sucedida en la cuenca del río Huachocolpa, Lircay Huancavelica provocada por la Mra. Caudalosa S.A. que tiene como principal accionista al grupo Raffo.
He later adds:
la fiscalización en la actividad minera ha pasado por tres manos en menos de 5 años, y de verdad ello estaría explicando la debilidad institucional del Estado para fiscalizar con eficiencia y eficacia la actividad minera, como la demora para adoptar decisiones ante tragedias ambientales como la presente. En tal sentido, esta tragedia ambiental constituye una prueba de fuego para el organismo regulador y para el ministerio de Medio Ambiente.
The blogger from Toustodo's Blog thinks that the government's measures should be more drastic [es] [17]:
Todas las autoridades ambientales entre ellas el Ministerio de Ambiente discursean pero no hacen nada, no hay sanciones efectivas ni siquiera una enérgica exigencia cara a cara con los responsables; solamente migajas, nada de indemnizaciones, juicios, cárcel, cierre de empresas para los que cometen por negligencia u otros motivos semejantes atrocidades.
Trying to see things in a different way, but still being critical, Saúl Mandujano from the blog El Pensamiento y Productos gives his opinion [es] [18] on the programmed protests:
Hoy pensaba comer trucha frita de alguna piscigranja y se me vino a la mente casi involuntariamente preguntar de dónde lo traían en son de broma casi de mal gusto. Sean cuales sean los resultados de estas medidas de protesta, de éxito o de “fracaso” (solo para los que lo quisieran así) envío mi apoyo incondicional nuevamente y de solidaridad con el pueblo de Angaraes, principalmente con los afectados directamente por este acto irresponsable y mercenario que considero de terrorismo ambiental.
Finally the Congressman for Huancavelica, Miro Ruíz, declares [es] [19] on his blog:
existen fundamentos suficientes para que la denuncia penal contra los responsables de tan condenable crimen ecológico proceda ya que se sustenta en los artículos 286°,304°,306° y 313° del Código Penal relacionados con la contaminación de aguas, alimentos y medio ambiente, hechos que representan delito de peligro común, ya que la contaminación del río Opamayo y sus afluentes ha afectado a poblaciones rurales y urbanas que se cuentan por miles y que habitan y desarrollan sus actividades diarias a orillas de estos ríos. Por lo tanto, este condenable acto es un claro atentado contra la salud pública de los pobladores de tres regiones del país, Huancavelica, Ayacucho y Junín.
The news from Huancavelica indicate [es] [20] that the programmed strike was respected by the private sector as well as by public institutions, and everything developed without violent events. The aforementioned mayor of Huachocolpa, Celso Condori Ramos, noted [es] [21] that, “Up to now the mine is not even complying with handing over the information about the chemical composition of the tailings, and neither is it giving us the analysis of the water of the river through any authorities,” which is, truly, very disturbing.