Over the weekend, Peruvian business journal Gestion
reported that Peruvian oil field Lot 192 has been shut down for over one week,
costing the country 10,000 barrels in oil production per day. Gestion added
that a team of high-level negotiators was expected to arrive in Loreto later in
the weekend. The protestors are looking for the government to give them more
concessions regarding oil extraction in the area.
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala spoke
publicly on the controversy regarding who will operate Lot 192. He said that the
Peruvian Council of Minister would review the bill passed by the Peruvian
Congress on September 4 allowing Peruvian state oil company Petro-Perú to
operate the oil field. The government had initially opposed that move, and
Humala explained
that, “We have to strengthen Petroperu, but not try to destroy it. So, we have
to give it the opportunity to gradually take on greater responsibilities.”
In mining-related news, Peruvian media outlets reported
over the weekend that two Peruvian police officers died from dehydration during
a raid on illegal miners in the La Pampa area of Peru’s Madre de Dios region. According
to unnamed sources, the officers’ superiors were to blame, as they gave the
officers just 1.5L per officer for two days’ work in the region.
The two officers died en route to the hospital, and three
others also were rushed
to the hospital and are still under observation. Although an investigation is
under way, experts are already questioning the commanding officer’s decision
not to send a medic as part of the police operation.
No comments:
Post a Comment