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Two killed, over 30 wounded in Peru mining protest

08 April 2011 03:31 (UTC +04:00)

Baku-APA. Two people died and over 30 were wounded Thursday in southern Peru when a protest against a mining project turned violent and protestors and security personal clashed, APA reports quoting Xinhua News Agency.

Carlos Mateo, chief of National Police of Peru (PNP), said the clashes

occurred during a protest by local citizens against the southern copper mine of Tia Maria where workers and their relatives for two weeks have protested against what they say is the mine’s exploitation of the area.

The protestors say the Tia Maria copper mine has contaminated the local

environment and the water in the rivers has had a negative impact on the local agriculture production in Peru’ s southern province of Islay.

Earlier on Thursday, police fired tear gas from a helicopter against

protestors who were blocking the road that connects the southern cities of

Mollendo, Matarani and Arequipa. A man of about 50 years of age was killed, and three others seriously wounded were taken to a local hospital.

The Tia Maria mine belongs to the Mexico’s Peru Copper Corporation which has invested almost 116 million dollars out of a 950 million dollar investment project in the mine.

Earlier this week Peru’ s government issued an order that temporarily suspends for 180 days an environmental impact study of Tia Maria.