Fuente: SPDA

La Comisión Interamericana de Derechos Humanos (CIDH) admitió la denuncia por las violaciones de derechos humanos en La Oroya contra el Estado peruano, presentada por AIDA, Earthjustice y CEDHA, apoyada en Perú por la Sociedad Peruana de Derecho Ambiental (SPDA).

Según el Informe, “La Comisión considera las supuestas muertes y/o afectaciones a la salud de las presuntas víctimas como consecuencia de acciones y omisiones estatales frente a la contaminación ambiental derivada del complejo metalúrgico que funciona en La Oroya, de ser probadas podrían caracterizar violación de los derechos consagrados en los artículos 4 y 5 de la Convención Americana”.

La Comisión también estudiará si las acciones del Estado respecto al acceso a la información de la situación del ambiente y de la salud humana, y las presiones a las personas que pretenden difundir esta información, violan el derecho al acceso a la información y la libertad de expresión. Adicionalmente, “el retardo injustificado” para cumplir la sentencia del Tribunal Constitucional de 2006, que ordenó acciones de protección a la salud pública en la ciudad, puede constituir también violaciones al acceso a la justicia y a la garantía judicial.

Vídeo: Análisis de la decisión de la CIDH

CORRECTION – see comments: Due to my mediocre Spanish I earlier stated mistakenly that the mayor of Acomayo granted mining concessions, it was in fact the government, and local authorities are protesting the developments. My apologies to the mayor of Acomayo.

Original post, corrected:

I just read here that the Peruvian government has granted significant concessions in the Acomayo area to the mining industry without proper consultations with the people of Acomayo.

Allow me to be perfectly selfish here: Acomayo is not too far from Accha, and if you mess with Accha, you’re messing with me. If this causes any trouble for Mama Vicky in Accha, I might just have to get involved in the opposition movement…

Sarcasm aside, I once read a column in “El Comercio” that said “Peru is a poor country because Peruvians act like poor people.” Peruvian authorities are typically eager to sell the country’s natural resources out for what they believe is a big sum of money. However, if the financial crisis proves anything, it’s that money is just funny printed paper. You can’t eat it, dance with it or teach it to sit and wag its tail.

Now mining is a necessary and honorable industry. Without it we would not have roads, infrastructure, hospitals, etc. But if Peru wants to improve its economy beyond the business districts of Lima, business and political leaders need to focus on applying the country’s fantastic human and natural resources to improve the quality of life for all Peruvians, instead of just looking for big payments of foreign cash.

I'll have my river without lead, please.

NB: a good site for news about the impact of mining on Peruvian communities is Conacami Perú: Confederación Nacional de Comunidades del Perú Afectadas por la Minería

NB: I didn’t keep the column I referred to above, it was printed in El Comercio around the signing of the Hunt Oil project. If anyone happens to come across it, please let me know.

I just read this Reuters release on mining giant BHP Biliton:

Much has been written about the environmental situation in the Peruvian town of La Oroya, since it was featured in an episode of CNN’s “Planet in Peril” a few weeks ago. This news release simply illustrates that the money involved to clean up, move or close the Doe Run smelter in La Oroya is just not that big an issue. Mining is a huge industry, and if BHP Biliton is willing to kiss $1.6 billion goodbye just because the economy is slowing, Doe Run and the Peruvian government darn well ought to pony up the money to fix, move or close the smelter at La Oroya.

Read an interesting comment about Doe Run’s history in the US at americaninlima.com.

Ward Welvaert