The Poderosa gold mine in northwestern Peru experienced yet another attack by illegal miners, who this time around used dynamite to take down two high-voltage towers that supply energy to the operation, located in the province of Pataz.
In a , Minera Poderosa said that the criminals broke into the mine鈥檚 pits right after knocking down the towers.听
鈥淭his attack occurred despite there being a State of Emergency and a contingent of more than 300 members of the National Police and the army in the area. This new attack occurred shortly after the police evacuated 150 troops from specialized units that had been providing services in Pataz, who had not yet been replaced,鈥� the release states.
The mining company noted that although the deployment of law enforcement officers in Pataz has been a positive step, their presence has not been matched with any strategy to deter illegal miners from carrying out their activities and attacking legal operations.听
In Poderosa鈥檚 view, illegal miners feel protected by the Comprehensive Mining Formalization Registry (REINFO) and the recent repeal by the Peruvian Congress of the regulations that sought to halt their modus operandi.听
Earlier in March, the parliament repealed the first provision of legislative decree 1607 that gave the police special powers to detain miners who are not registered in REINFO and who are illegally transporting weapons and explosives.
鈥淯nfortunately, law enforcement actions have been severely limited by the lack of support from the Prosecutor鈥檚 Office and regional representatives of the Energy, Mines and Hydrocarbons Management. Let us remember that the latter is in charge of supervising the work of artisanal and small-scale miners,鈥� the statement reads. 鈥淭his criminal act emulates the actions of the terrorist groups that sieged the country in past decades, as it threatened the integrity of our personnel and endangered our operations. In the last two years, 16 employees have lost their lives in attacks by illegal miners and 14 towers have been knocked down.鈥�
Government and industry respond
In response to Poderosa鈥檚 declarations, the Minister of Energy and Mines, R贸mulo Mucho, and emphasized that the operation would continue to be protected by the army and National Police.听
Mucho also recognized that the mining formalization process has been more complex than expected, particularly after certain decision-making processes were transferred to the regional directorates.
But the minister鈥檚 statement wasn鈥檛 enough for industry representatives.听
In Lima, the Chamber of Commerce that authorities take swift action to locate and prosecute the criminal organizations behind such acts.
Similarly, Supera 鈥� a firm dedicated to the business transformation of mining companies 鈥� published a commentary saying that authorities must commit and take action to provide security to established mining companies, as they are the main engine of the Peruvian economy.
Poderosa is an underground operation situated at an altitude that ranges between 1,250 and 3,000 metres above sea level.
Gold and silver are its main products, having produced 300,662 ounces of gold and 191,898 ounces of silver in 2022.听