Once again, a social conflict has broken out in my country due to mining. While we must recognize the great contribution of mining to Peru's economic growth in recent decades, we must also recognize that this extractive activity has generated many social conflicts and great damage to the environment. It is also well known that economic growth is not the same as economic development. Much of the money generated by mining has only served to fuel corruption in Peru and further enrich the already rich, while thousands of Peruvians sink into poverty and struggle every day to buy food. Unfortunately, this is a sad reality in my country, and it fills me with great indignation and impotence. 

Mining in Peru has been the source of numerous injustices (authorities who steal mining taxes, companies that pollute and destroy landscapes, etc.). All of this has provoked hostility and distrust of the Peruvian population towards mining. Many associate it with pollution, death, and destruction and not with economic development. As a result, many mining investments and projects have come to a standstill in Peru. The population was strongly opposed to mining. It is really sad that, because of irresponsible companies and corrupt authorities, mining companies that want to work properly pay and mining is demonized when it is supposed to be an activity that brings economic development and promotes sustainable development in a country.

The amount of work that mining companies have to do to regain the trust of the Peruvian population that opposes mining is immense. However, everything is in their hands since they are the ones who have to demonstrate through good environmental and social practices their commitment to sustainable development, a commitment that sadly, many companies like Volcan only show on paper, as it turns out that the owner of the 34 tons of zinc that fell into the Chillón River is a repeat offender in environmental infractions, which is why the population of Canta, fed up with injustices and abuses, is taking severe measures such as blocking the Canta highway.

Although Volcan has stated in its communiqués its commitment to remediate the affected area, it is very difficult to believe a company that, according to the OEFA (Organismo de Evaluación y Fiscalización Ambiental - Environmental Evaluation and Oversight Agency), has 225 accumulated infractions since 2010, most of which are due to having exceeded the maximum permissible limits for mining emissions, not having complied with environmental commitments or standards, and not having adopted environmental prevention and control measures. But not only that, Volcan has also tried to evade its fines generated by these infractions, which amount to more than 19 million soles (US $5 million) by judicializing them (taking them to a judicial process that generally lasts many years in order to delay as long as possible the payment of the fines or annul them). Unfortunately, Volcan's words and actions are not congruent. How can they expect the population to believe them again? They make it more and more difficult for the mining companies to regain the trust of the people and turn mining into a dirty and infamous business. 

El Oefa comunica los resultados de análisis de muestras de agua del río chillón ante el derrame de concentrado de zinc. Gobierno del Perú. (n.d.). Retrieved June 27, 2022, from https://www.gob.pe/institucion/oefa/noticias/626247-el-oefa-comunica-los-resultados-de-analisis-de-muestras-de-agua-del-rio-chillon-ante-el-derrame-de-concentrado-de-zinc