Demonstrators in Peru March 180 Miles to Protest Lead Poisoning in Children
Demonstrators in Peru March 180 Miles to Protest Lead Poisoning in Children
Translation posted 28 October 2015 16:29 GMT
Cerro de Pasco, the city and the open pit mine. Image from La Última Reina (The Last Queen)'s Facebook page.
Post originally published in the blog Globalizado by Juan Arellano.
The region of Cerro de Pasco, in the central Andes of Peru, has traditionally been a mining area. This area is rich in mineral deposits that have been exploited since the 16th century, beginning in the colonial era. This is also where there are currently 14 mining sites operating at high production levels. Nevertheless, the wealth extracted from Pasco's land and its natural resources are not enjoyed by the majority of the region's inhabitants. In fact, statistics from last year show that between 2013 and 2014, Cerro de Pasco was the region that saw the sharpest rise in poverty in all of Peru.
Moreover, mining activities have apparently enjoyed little oversight, and for years have been contaminating the rivers and the land, creating a variety of environmental liabilities in the Pasco region. In the specific case of the city of Cerro de Pasco, the mining industry has both contaminated the local environment and created an open pit mine in the city center—one that continues to grow and engulf the city.
It's in this context that the population and authorities of the district of Simón Bolívar, in the city of Cerro de Pasco, approved a motion on September 5 to hold a “march of sacrifice” to the capital city, Lima, on September 17. The goal is to protest the central government's neglect of the 2,000 children poisoned with high levels of lead in their blood—a case that has gone on unresolved for four years.
A Challenging Journey
On September 17, the march began, led by the mayor of the district of Simón Bolívar, Zumel Trujillo, who is also an engineer. Originally consisting of 58 marchers, more people joined as the procession approached the town of Colquijirca in the south. On the 18th, they marched southeast around Lake Junín through the town of Ninacaca. On the 19th they passed through Carhuamayo, in the Junín region of the highlands, where they received support from the authorities and people in the area. On the 20th, they marched south through Ucco and also through the capital town of Junín.
More:
https://globalvoices.org/2015/10/28/demonstrators-in-peru-march-180-miles-to-protest-lead-poisoning-in-children/
Environment & Energy:
http://www.democraticunderground.com/112792921