Impacts of Mining in Peru: What I learned in the Sacred Valley

GUEST POST BY VIOLA OF THE BLESSING BUCKET

The room was made of clay and bamboo. It used recycled glass bottles for windows, which gave it a quirkiness that I really adored. I was sitting on the couch with my recently acquired friends, who were all travelers like me. In the last couple of days, we had stayed in this organic family farm located in a remote village in Peru’s Sacred Valley. During the days, we helped out with farm work and learned about the family’s way of life. During the nights, Arcadio, our kind host, would tell us stories of the Andean lands. We were shown rare sights, including pre-Incan wall paintings and secret mountain lakes. We observed indigenous farmers grow potatoes and stalked fluffy llamas grazing on the grass. This valley reminded me of the sort of havens described in fairy tales.

We all came here on a trip organized by Operation Groundswell, a company that creates ethical travel experiences that support local communities. On this particular day, our program leaders sat us down for some bad news. The mood was heavy as we learned that the beautiful land that we had connected with will soon become a mine site. Big international mining companies will be moving in and life in the valley will be changed forever.

It was shocking to hear the detrimental fate that awaits. Mining in the area will contaminate the villages’ water and soil with toxic metals such as arsenic, lead, and cadmium, as well as pollute the air with harmful chemicals.

Community members from the region had banded together to protest at government facilities, denouncing that the mining concession was authorized without consent or prior consultation with the area locals. Unfortunately, the resistance had fallen on deaf ears.

Mining projects have long caused conflicts in Peru. The Sacred Valley is by no means the first region impacted. Since 2006, the mining industry has increasingly fueled Peru’s economic growth. Peru is now the world’s third largest producer of copper, silver and zinc, and a major producer of gold. The powerful growth of the industry was accompanied by an equally explosive rise in social opposition, especially in the remote and poor Andean highlands.

There are two major concerns voiced by the locals. Besides the environmental degradation that harms the ecosystem, people are also frustrated over the lack of benefits to the local communities.

According to statistics provided by Human Rights Without Borders, for every $10 dollars generated by exportation of minerals, only $1 dollar will stay in Peru, and even less will go back to the area affected by mining. Despite the lucrative revenues generated by the industry, multinational mining corporations are the ones who gain the most in the end. Wealth inequality within Peru is also exacerbated between the urban coastal elites, who live in big cities such as Lima, and the peasant populations that live near mining operations. For the latter group, they have not seen significant creation of new jobs, nor other improvements to their lives.

Communities have protested and attempted to block resource extraction operations in various ways to no avail. Protesters are often met with violence, resulting in injuries and even deaths. Right to protest in Peru has been limited, with regulations that criminalizes actions such as blocking a road, or exercising freedom of expression at the entrance to a mine. Environmental and social leaders have also faced prosecutions.

Foreign corporations have more often than not failed to deliver on the ethical standards they promised and the government is complicit in their problematic behaviors. Peru is facing an environmental issue as well as a human rights issue.

HOW YOU CAN HELP

The Peruvian people are fighting hard to preserve their land and livelihood. As travelers, we can support their efforts in a number of ways.

We can start with educating ourselves. Peru is a popular tourist destination. Anyone who has been to Peru will express admiration for its unique culture and stunning landscapes. Yet very little tourists know what is hurting this country. Visit communities affected by mining in Peru. Speak with the locals and listen. Once I met families like Arcadio’s, and witnessed the natural beauty of the Sacred Valley, it pained me to imagine harm to the way of life here. When I connected with the land and people, the issues truly felt personal.

While traveling to certain regions is not always possible, you can watch documentaries such as Film Flon Flim Flan (Hudbay’s Hoax) to learn about the doings of international mining companies, or read reports about the mining conflicts up and down Peru’s spine.

Keep up with news updates from home by following and supporting the work of nonprofit organizations such as Derechos Humanos Sin Fronteras (Human Rights Without Borders). DHSF has spent years monitoring the mining conflicts, providing legal help to environmental leaders being sued by the government for protesting, and empowering people about their collective rights. Sharing information provided by DHSP on social media, donating, and signing petitions (this past petition as an example) are some ways we can show solidarity with the people of Peru.

Finally, as consumers, we hold power to influence multinational companies based in our countries. The USA and Canada are two of the biggest mining investors in Peru who extract copper, gold, silver and other precious metals. Be aware of the products you purchase. Get to know the environmental and social impact they have. Demand better practices from companies that abuse their power in foreign lands. As consumers lead by example and demand justice, supply chains have no choice but to follow suit.