UNT activists + ISO  vs Conga Mining Project
Channel: Di Bravo
Date: 2012-09-22

A contingent representing the people of Cajamarca moved into the office where the consulate was holding a meeting. It was expressed the concerns about the consequences of mining in the region of Cajamarca in Peru and the militarization of the region through this letter: 

Representatives of the Republic of Peru,

Through this, we are writing to send you our deepest concern about what is happening around the Conga project and the militarized response to the people of Cajamarca that opposes the project by multinational corporations and the government of Peru. 

During his election campaign President Ollanta Humala said and promised to respect the right to water of Cajamarca with his call: "Water yes, gold no." After his election he changed his language "we want the gold and water."

To impose something on a people that is not wanted by the people is undemocratic, and Mr. Humala was democratically elected with the promise to review the mining concessions. The legitimacy of the president's campaign promises only have meaning if they translate into enforced policy during his presidency. 

How can we be expected to believe the president's claim that the people of Peru will get both 'gold and water'? Experience shows that the only possible result of this combination is gold and contaminated water. A single example will suffice to detail how mining has affected the contamination of water, air, soil, the damage to biodiversity, environmental liabilities and diseases caused by the use of toxic products such as cyanide and mercury in mining: The Choropampa misfortune which occurred in 2000 is a sufficient image. Its people continue to die as a result of the consequences of this contamination.

Pretending to finance social welfare programs for the poor and marginalized communities with money generated from the mining tax is to ignore the irreversible consequences of mining. 


We ask that you respect the ordinance 036 which expresses the opinion of the people who elected him.
We ask you to end the repression and the militarization of the region of Cajamarca.
We ask you to end the Conga project.
We ask that you respect life.
All over the world more and more people like us are alert and ready to defend water and life.

We exclaim with profound conviction, 

No to Conga!