Peru: Thousands march to protect water

Thousands of worried Peruvians have walked 870 kilometres to protest about how government and mining companies have neglected the quality of their water supplies.

After trekking 100-kilometres-a-day for nine days, the campaigners arrived in Lima on Saturday 11 February tired but determined.

They protested in central San Martin Square, furious at the government for granting a number of new mining projects while there are still unaddressed cases of water pollution caused by mining.

The march began in Cajamarca, a rural town in northern Peru. Peru’s largest mine site is to be constructed here to extract copper and gold. Residents are deeply concerned for their health as they believe the mine will contaminate their water supplies.

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Water wasted

Their concerns are well-founded. We have supported the Puno Human Rights and Environment organisation to work alongside people affected by a mine in Condoraque, Puno for two years. They have found that water sources in the area are dangerously acidic. This is often the result of waste from mining activity draining into rivers around mines. It can gravely affect the health of those using the water.

Campaigners are asking for assurance that communities living near mine sites have access to safe water.

Water usage during mining operations is also an issue. It takes 691,000 litres of water to produce just one kilogram of gold. This would be wasteful enough in a country with sufficient water, but in Peru where water is scarce, it is irresponsible and unjust.

The campaigners hope that their protests can make the government see past the profit to the effect that irresponsible mining has on Peruvian people.

 Mining in Peru foo

• Mining makes up 50 per cent of Peru’s income.
• The UK is Peru’s second biggest investor.
• 50 per cent of UK investment in Peru goes to mining.

Water is a human right

Some of the organisations that we work with in Peru are coordinating the national campaign, including Puno Human Rights and Environment and Red Muqui.

Edwin Gonzales, coordinator of Red Muqui says: “We want to ensure that water is put on the public agenda, particularly in relation to mining.

"We are proposing specific changes to government legislation. They include moves to protect river sources and to ban cyanide and mercury in mining activities which can pollute local rivers to a dangerous degree. We are also asking for the right to adequate water to be classed as a basic human right.”

The campaigners have signed petitions and have warned the government that they will organise a national strike if their demands are not listened to.

Expert advice

Newcastle University’s mining experts have started to work with CAFOD in Peru this year. We are working with three communities where people are worried about water quality due to past, current and future mining projects. Together we are trying to improve mining practice in order to keep people’s water clean and safe.

Edwin says: “The relevance and need for CAFOD and Newcastle’s programme is increasingly clear in this context of growing concern over access to clean water in Peru.

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