Besides the high-profile social conflicts between large
mining companies and local indigenous communities, illegal mining has been the biggest
problem confronting Peru’s mining industry. El
Comercio reported on the change in the high commissioner in charge illegal
mining interdiction activities. Antonio Fernández Jerí went to work as normal
last Monday, but woke up on Tuesday to read in El Peruano newspaper they he had
been fired.
According to unnamed sources, Col. César Sierra is expected
to replace Fernández as the new High Commissioner, but the sources did not
explain the reasons for the replacement. Gestión however worries that, in the
time it takes for the new official to settle in, new interdiction efforts will
be delayed because of the need to coordinate between the various government
entities.
In other news related to illegal mining, the Peruvian
Ministry of Energy and Mines announced
that the Las Lomas Doradas – SAC mining company became the first formalized
mining company to be registered in the Piura region. All the Ministry has been
heavily criticized by all sides due to the incredible delays in its mining
formalization process, it has continued to move forward, however slowly.
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