The relatives of miner Clemente Coaquira carry his casket from the city morgue in Arequipa, Peru. He was one of 27 men killed in a gold mine fire. (Photo: Alberto Jimenez - stringer, AP)
A gold mine fire killed 27 men in Peru. The people in that nation are not just struggling against the coup regime, but against official corruption and the exploitation of people and their land.
National Strike, Day 133
Five months after the parliamentary coup against democratically elected president Pedro Castillo, the Boluarte coup regime continues to dig its heels in. As protesters prepare fresh mobilizations against the coup regime that has left 80 dead since the uprising began, other acts of neglect and injustice continue unabated. On May 6th, a fire at a gold mine in Arequipa left 27 miners dead in the country’s worst mining accident in decades. This is yet another example of the dangerous and precarious situations that workers find themselves in, particularly in the indigenous rural regions of Perú.
Minera Yanaquihua, owner of the Esperanza I Mine where the 27 miners were killed, had already registered 31 fatal incidents in previous years and at least 430 work accidents, despite being certified for “safe practices”. It is also a supplier to the Swiss gold refiner Metalor who have been at the center of investigations into the use of illegal mining from their suppliers, despite attempts to distance themselves from allegations. In a statement released by the company, it is confirmed that the 27 miners had been employed by subcontractors. The Ministry of Energy and Mining (MINEM) has registered dozens of deaths each year throughout the mining industry, with this fire being the worst accident in decades.
Family members of the deceased demand a full investigation after they say workers had already complained of hazardous working conditions. In an industry as hazardous as mining, conditions both for workers and the surrounding community have not improved, though the profits for these companies continue to skyrocket. Last year alone, Minera Yanaquihua registered $60 million worth of exports to Switzerland. It remains to be seen whether any reparations will be given to the families of those killed in the fire, or whether their status as subcontractors, of which the majority of mining workers are classified under, will leave them in limbo. As the aunt of one of the 27 miners killed, Elvis Sánchez said, “that mining company paid them little, (it) has served itself, it has taken advantage of my nephew. There is no justice for the poor. He had an accident last year, they did not treat him well in his recovery, they treated him like a dog." She also stated that neither the subcontractor, Sermigold, nor Yanaquihua had answered any of the families’ calls.
Family members have also criticized the state’s institutional labor inspections, saying the conditions of mining laborers are never fully investigated or sanctioned and that transnational corporations merely ransack their lands, take advantage of their workers and in the worst case scenario, brush their deaths under the rug with little to no consequences. According to the brother of Reynaldo Uñapillco, one of the deceased, “where was the Ministry of Labor, Sunafil, (that) do not protect the Peruvian worker? My brother earned very little, but the company earns millions. (In the accident) there was negligence.” Uñapillco was a native of Cusco who had to move to Condesuyos, Arequipa for work.
On May 9th, the Ministry of Energy and Mining sent a team to investigate the mine with the de facto Minister of Energy and Mines Oscar Vera, who seemed to signal there may have been negligence on the part of the company and a lack of funds to properly supervise mining sites on the part of the regional government. Arequipa’s regional governor Rohel Sánchez also concurred with family members that this loss “could have been due to negligence and could have been prevented.” Regardless, this fatal accident shows that neither the regional or national institutions meant to supervise this industry and safeguard workers are simply not functioning.
The fact that the mining corridor of the nation stretches throughout the southern Andean regions is not lost on the people. These areas are predominantly indigenous rural areas where the majority of infrastructure is merely set up for these extractive industries, and not for the residents of those areas. According to a study from the Ombudsman for the month of September 2022, “of the 136 active and latent socio-environmental conflicts registered during this month, 66.9% (91 cases) correspond to conflicts related to mining activity.” Among the main concerns of these communities, aside from basic workplace safety, are the contamination of their lands and waters, the implementation of community consultations for these projects, and basic air quality. What is certain is that if conditions do not change for the workers and communities that these mining companies extract from, transnational corporations will continue costing the lives of Peruvians, mostly from indigenous rural areas.
**En Español**
Estado de impunidad: Incendio en mina de oro deja 27 muertos en Arequipa
Paro Nacional, DĂa 133
Cinco meses despuĂ©s del golpe parlamentario contra el presidente democráticamente electo Pedro Castillo, el rĂ©gimen golpista de Boluarte sigue usurpando el poder. Mientras los manifestantes preparan nuevas movilizaciones contra el rĂ©gimen golpista que ha dejado 80 muertos desde que comenzĂł el levantamiento, continĂşan otros actos de negligencia e injusticia. El 6 de mayo, un incendio en una mina de oro en Arequipa dejĂł 27 mineros muertos en el peor accidente minero del paĂs en dĂ©cadas. Este es un ejemplo más de las situaciones peligrosas y precarias en las que se encuentran los trabajadores, particularmente en el campo a los pueblos originarios del PerĂş.
Minera Yanaquihua, propietaria de la mina Esperanza I donde murieron los 27 mineros, ya habĂa registrado 31 incidentes fatales en años anteriores y al menos 430 accidentes laborales, a pesar de estar certificada por “prácticas seguras”. TambiĂ©n es proveedor de la refinerĂa de oro suiza Metalor, que ha estado en el centro de las investigaciones sobre el uso de minerĂa ilegal por parte de sus proveedores, a pesar de los intentos de distanciarse de las acusaciones. En un comunicado difundido por la empresa, se confirma que los 27 mineros habĂan sido empleados por subcontratistas. El Ministerio de EnergĂa y Minas (MINEM) ha registrado decenas de muertes cada año en toda la industria minera, siendo este incendio el peor accidente en dĂ©cadas.
Los familiares de los fallecidos exigen una investigaciĂłn completa despuĂ©s de que dicen que los trabajadores ya se habĂan quejado de condiciones peligrosas. En una industria tan peligrosa como la minerĂa, las condiciones tanto de los trabajadores como de la comunidad directa no han mejorado, aunque las ganancias de estas empresas siguen subiendo. Solo el año pasado, Minera Yanaquihua registrĂł $60 millones USD en exportaciones a Suiza. Queda por ver si se otorgará alguna reparaciĂłn a las familias de los muertos en el incendio, o si su condiciĂłn de subcontratistas, en la que se clasifican la mayorĂa de los trabajadores mineros, los dejará sin justicia. Como dijo la tĂa de uno de los 27 mineros asesinados, Elvis Sánchez, “esa empresa minera les pagĂł poco, se ha servido, se ha aprovechado de mi sobrino. No hay justicia para los pobres. Tuvo un accidente el año pasado, no lo trataron bien en su recuperaciĂłn, lo trataron como a un perro”. TambiĂ©n afirmĂł que ni el subcontratista, Sermigold, ni Yanaquihua habĂan respondido ninguna llamada de las familias.
Los familiares tambiĂ©n han criticado la fiscalizaciĂłn laboral del estado, diciendo que las condiciones de los trabajadores mineros nunca se investigan o sancionan y que las empresas transnacionales simplemente saquean sus tierras, se aprovechan de sus trabajadores y, en el peor de los casos, esconden sus muertes debajo de la alfombra con pocas o ninguna consecuencia. SegĂşn el hermano de Reynaldo Uñapillco, uno de los fallecidos, “¿dĂłnde quedĂł la SecretarĂa del Trabajo, Sunafil, (que) no protege al trabajador peruano? Mi hermano ganaba muy poco, pero la empresa gana millones. (En el accidente) hubo negligencia”. Uñapillco era un cusqueño que tuvo que trasladarse a Condesuyos, Arequipa por trabajo.
El 9 de mayo, el Ministerio de EnergĂa y Minas enviĂł un equipo a investigar la mina con el Ministro de EnergĂa y Minas de facto Oscar Vera, quien pareciĂł señalar que pudo haber negligencia por parte de la empresa y falta de fondos para supervisar adecuadamente los sitios mineros por parte del gobierno regional. El gobernador regional de Arequipa, Rohel Sánchez, tambiĂ©n coincidiĂł con familiares en que esta pĂ©rdida “pudo haber sido por negligencia y pudo haberse evitado”. Independientemente, este fatal accidente muestra que ni las instituciones regionales o nacionales destinadas a supervisar esta industria y salvaguardar a los trabajadores simplemente no están funcionando.
El hecho de que el corredor minero de la naciĂłn se extienda a lo largo de las regiones andinas del sur no pasa sobre la cabeza del pueblo. Estas áreas son predominantemente áreas rurales indĂgenas donde la mayor parte de la infraestructura se establece simplemente para estas industrias extractivas, y no para los residentes de esas áreas. SegĂşn un estudio de la DefensorĂa del Pueblo para el mes de septiembre de 2022, “de los 136 conflictos socioambientales activos y latentes registrados durante este mes, el 66,9% (91 casos) corresponden a conflictos relacionados con la actividad minera”. Entre las principales preocupaciones de estas comunidades, además de la seguridad básica en el trabajo, se encuentran la contaminaciĂłn de sus tierras y aguas, la implementaciĂłn de consultas comunitarias para estos proyectos y la calidad básica del aire. Lo cierto es que si no cambian las condiciones de los trabajadores y comunidades de las que extraen estas empresas mineras, las empresas transnacionales seguirán costando vidas de peruanos, en su mayorĂa de zonas rurales indĂgenas.
Clau O'Brien Moscoso is an organizer with the Black Alliance for Peace in the Haiti/Americas Team. Originally from Barrios Altos, Lima, she grew up in New Jersey and now lives between both countries.
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