Operations at Southern Copper's Cuajone mine in Peru have been suspended for 15 days as locals continue to block the company's access to reservoirs and other critical supplies, the country's mining and energy industry body revealed.
Cuireadh tús leis an imshuí ar 28 Feabhra, nuair a Chinn Southern Copper píopa uisce 50-bliain d'aois a chuir uisce ar fáil do phobail in aice láimhe a athsholáthar.
De réir Raul Jacob, príomhfheidhmeannach Copper an Deiscirt agus uachtarán reatha Chumann Peiriú Mianaigh, Peitriliam agus Fuinnimh (SNMPE), tá an lamháltas don mhianach á athsholáthar.
Dúirt Jacob leis na meáin áitiúla go bhfuil doiciméid aige a chruthaíonn gur tógadh an t-aistriú chuig ceannairí pobail agus údaráis réigiúnacha agus náisiúnta.
"We were taken aback by the blockade," Jacob said.
D'iarr oibrithe sa mhianach Cuajone, a fhostaíonn níos mó ná 5,000 ar an rialtas idirghabháil a dhéanamh ar an gcoimhlint idir an chuideachta agus muintir na háite, ag áitiú go bhfuil a bpoist agus a saol i mbaol.
"The residents' refusal to restore water supply to Cuajone and release the railway has prevented us from resuming operations at the mine," Southern Copper said in an emailed statement.
SNMPE said the protesters were demanding 5bn in compensation and a 5 per cent share of the company's profits.
Pablo O'Brien, a mining expert at Velocity Trade Capital, said it was more than that, describing the situation as "very serious".
"No one can just turn off the water supply to a group of people for whatever reason. This situation unfortunately demonstrates the current inability of states to mediate in resolving conflicts, "O 'Brien said.
Peru is the world's second-largest copper producer after neighboring Chile, and mining is a major source of tax revenue. Residents of nearby communities have increasingly protested against the mines, claiming they cause pollution without contributing enough to the local economy.
Tá Southern Copper, cuid de Grupo Meicsiceo, ar cheann de na cuideachtaí copair leis na cúlchistí mianraí is mó, agus is é Cuajone an dara mianach is mó i Peiriú.
The miner's copper production fell 4.3 per cent in 2021 and recently said it expected a further decline this year.
Faoi 2022, tá súil ag Southern Copper 922,000 tonna miotail a tháirgeadh a úsáidtear i dtógáil agus i gcarranna leictreacha.
"After this year, we believe our 2023 production will rebound to 1 million tonnes of copper," it said in its February earnings statement. By the end of the decade, as our organic growth projects mature, we expect copper production to reach 1.8 million tonnes.
Tá China Southern ag forbairt tionscadail ar fiú 2.8 billiún iad i Peiriú. Má chuirtear na tionscadail nua Micchiquillay agus Los Chancas san áireamh, léimeann an figiúr go beagnach 8bn.
Protests have hit several of Peru's biggest mining companies since leftist President Pedro Castillo took office in July after winning an election with overwhelming support in the country's impoverished mining regions.
Roads used by MMG's Las Bambas copper mine to transport its metal have been intermittently blocked by residents demanding financial contributions from the company.
Last year protests also disrupted Antamina, the country's largest copper mine, which is jointly owned by BHP billiton (33.75 percent), Glencore (33.75 percent), Teck Resources (22.75 percent) and Mitsubishi (10 percent).
Bhí tionchar freisin ar mhianaigh Glencore (LON: GLEN), Hudbady Minerals TSX, NYSE: HBM) agus Mianadóireacht Hochschild.
Social unrest in the country's mining areas has deepened global fears of a looming copper shortage.
De réir meastacháin CRU Group, ní mór don tionscal copair níos mó ná 100 billiún a chaitheamh chun aghaidh a thabhairt ar easnamh 4.7 milliún tonna sa bhliain faoi 2030.
