The Peruvian armed forces have announced that they will
continue to support
the Peruvian National Police in the Madre de Dios, Puno, and Arequipa regions,
in its operations against illegal mining and related criminal activity. The
armed forces needed to pass this resolution to legally prolong its activity in
these areas to help the police maintain public security and stop illegal
mining.
In related news, the Madre de Dios regional government and
the central Peruvian government no longer seem to be at odds regarding what to
do about illegal mining in the region. Madre de Dios Regional President Luis
Otsuka Salazar told Agencia
Andina that his administration would unconditionally support
the federal government’s efforts to eradicate illegal mining in his region. He
clarified that he had never actually supported illegal mining, he simply
recognized the rights of informal miners to formalize themselves and contribute
to the development of Madre de Dios and Peru. Semantics aside, it seems that
something must have happened at the recent meeting between Peruvian President
Ollanta Humala and the 25 regional presidents that changed Salazar’s mind.
According to Salazar, President Humala pledged the federal government’s support
in issues of public health and education, and promised that a sophisticated
hospital would soon be built in the region.
In another piece of good news, Peruvian Finance Minister
Alonso Segura said that the Peruvian economy will be boosted over the next
three years by large copper mining projects like Toromocho, Constancia, and Las
Bambas. Minister Segura said, “Mining production, especially that of copper,
will be very strong in the following two or three years and this, in turn, provides
a support to the economy."
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