‘Painful’ Mine Protests Reflect Years of Broken Promises in Peru

  • Antamina’s Gobitz calls for better management of public funds
  • New mines seen countering protests for Peru copper production
Antamina CEO Victor GobitzPhotographer: Angela Ponce/Bloomberg
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The head of Peru’s biggest mine says a swift solution to rising social unrest in the country is within reach if authorities and politicians agree to address the central problem: management of public funds.

Peru, the world’s No. 2 copper and zinc supplier and a major producer of silver and gold, has seen its reputation tarnished over the past week by images of clashes between security personnel and indigenous protesters at the MMG Ltd.-operated Las Bambas copper mine. Protests at mines are happening amid an uptick in unrest over living costs, exacerbating political tensions in the country.