Fox News reports, “Civil society groups in Peru plan to begin a national march on Thursday (Feb. 2) to pressure lawmakers to ban mining in the headwaters of river basins, a contentious issue in one of the world’s top sources of base and precious metals. Supporters of the march also want Peru’s constitution to recognize water as a human right and resource that cannot be privatized.”
“Marco Arana, a high-profile environmental activist helping to organize the march, said that more than 70 civil society groups plan to participate in the national march. In northern Peru, the march will begin in Cajamarca and pass through the cities of Trujillo and Huaraz before arriving in Lima on Feb. 9… In total, about 1,000 participants are expected to meet in Lima, Arana said. On Feb. 10, the leaders of the march will present legislative proposals to Congress.”
“Analysts are closely watching the dispute over Conga, Peru’s biggest mining project that will require an investment of $4.8 billion. Opponents say the project, which is located in the headwater of a river basin, will harm local water supplies, as it would require draining four lakes. (Denver, Colorado-based) Newmont plans to replace those lakes with reservoirs that it says will more than double the current water-storage capacity.”
The full article is at http://www.foxbusiness.com/news/2012/01/30/peru-anti-mining-groups-to-start-water-march-on-thursday/.
The Council of Canadians has been following the plans by Vancouver-based Bear Creek Mining Corporation to establish the Santa Ana silver mine near Puno, Peru near Lake Titicaca, http://canadians.org/blog/?p=9492. We are also calling for the implementation of the now-United Nations recognized human right to water and sanitation, http://canadians.org/RTW.
