Tia Maria is a mining project of exploitation and processing of copper open-pit,

in the province of Islay, in the region of Arequipa, Cocacharra district. It belongs

to the Mexican-American company Southern Copper Corporation (SCC) and
provides the extraction of 10 thousand tons of copper daily, using the
groundwater via wells that will be located in the Valley of the river Tambo. (JG,
2015)

Community opposition to the execution of the project

Since the SCC mining presented the project in 2009, protests have been
generated against execution by peasant organizations since the development
does not convince a part of the population of Islay. The main fear of this project
is that mining could pollute the water which is used for agricultural production.
Defenders of the project say that the pit of the mine will affect groundwater
and waste extraction will contaminate the rea. Involvement would impact on
the availability of water and therefore limit the production of rice, cane sugar
and paprika (pepper or red pepper) in the Valley of the river Tambo. (JG, 2015)

Actions taken by the community

The protests began since the presentation of the project in 2009. Farmers have
staged several protests in which generated clashes with the authorities, leaving
until now tens of wounded by police repression. Farmers launched strikes and
indefinite strikes in March 2011 and in that year alone there were three
deceased persons. (JG, 2015)
There is an additional reason why Islay farmers would be affected with the
mining project: construction would raise the salaries of workers due to the
increase in the demand for labor in the area. The costs of hiring of farmers
would rise. (Melendez, 2015)
The protests started from the presentation of the project in 2009. Farmers have
staged several protests in which generated clashes with the authorities, leaving
up to now, five dead and scores injured by police repression. Farmers launched
strikes and indefinite strikes in March 2011 and in that year alone there were
three deaths. There was a 48-hour strike in opposition to the approval of a
study of environmental impact (SEI) in 2014 and in 2015 they started new
demonstrations, of which there have been two fatalities. (JG, 2015)

International organizations that intervened in the

conflict

Through resolution directorial N 398-2010/MEM-AAM on December 01, 2010,

the MINEM requested UNOPS, the priority review of the Tia Maria mining
project. Whereas that system standardized and computerized ATEREA project
still was being developed, the MINEM agreed with UNOPS and UNEP to the "ad
hoc" review of the environmental impact study for the project Tia Maria would
take place from the end of January 2011 and handed over the first review
report in March 2011, pending the issuance of a second report once the MINEM
move to the holder the observations made and received the same the
corresponding corrections. (UNOPS, 2011)
For the review of the UNOPS environmental study and UNEP they convened a
multidisciplinary high level team made up of 10 national and international
experts of different disciplines (geology, mines, metallurgical engineering,
hydrogeology, hydrology, ecology/biology, economics and sociology and
environmental engineering). (UNOPS, 2011)
The team of specialists implemented the multidisciplinary and detailed review
of the SEI and report of observations within the prescribed period. The report
was also reviewed by the independent UNOPS/UNEP technical Committee to
ensure the quality of the contents, the fairness, the style and the consistency
of the observations and recommendations made. (UNOPS, 2011)
March 16, 2011, Unops submitted a report with 138 comments, indicating, inter
alia, that it was not a hydrogeological study (from water and soil). A second
study presented in 2014 was approved. (Melendez, 2015)