About 40 anti-miners from the Mendoza town of Uspallata They violently broke into the opening ceremony of the local chamber of suppliers and set fire to the business of the new president of the entity.
As reported by the Argentine Chamber of Mining Suppliers (Capmin)a “group of violent protesters” tried to prevent the launch of the Uspallata Chamber of Mining Servicesset fire to the access to the headquarters and blocked the exit of its owner Edgardo Vera, causing “physical and personal damage” to some of the guests present.
Capmin expressed his repudiation of the actions of the protesters and assured that people participate in the mining industry every day “carrying out a respectable and environmentally friendly task.”
“We strongly reject the grievances of violent and minority sectors that, far from being committed to the well-being and development of the communities, distort concepts to generate fear, confusion and discouragement in society in the face of the opportunity that Mendoza has for the generation of work and sustainable development”stated the directors of the national chamber.
The inauguration of the chamber coincides with the launch of the San Jorge copper project in the area, which will operate for 20 years. As indicated by the Mendoza Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs, The PSJ has invested US$62 million of a total initial investment estimate of US$559 million, of which an additional US$15 million will be disbursed in the first 12 months of activity.
“If the presentation made before the RIGI is approved, it would confirm the growth potential of Mendoza from large investments, where the first project approved at the national level is the construction of a photovoltaic energy station, which requires large volumes of copper; and the first copper mining project with PSJ, both in Las Heras,” detailed the provincial chamber.
Saint George foresee the creation of 3,900 direct and indirect jobs during the construction stage and 2,400 in the operation phase, of which 800 will be direct and another 1,600 indirect.
The Mendoza Chamber of Mining Entrepreneurs issued another statement repudiating the protest and the escrache. “The biggest conflict we have in Mendoza is poverty, and it is the responsibility of all Mendoza residents to work to generate more job opportunities and social growth for more than 1 million Mendoza residents who are currently in poverty,” they maintained.
“Together we must work together to create more jobs, take care of the environment and our water, and leave our children a future with more opportunities. From the Chamber we reaffirm our commitment to responsible and sustainable mining, which is a key tool for provide more job opportunities to small and medium-sized companies in Mendoza,” they added.
What the president of the Mining Chamber said
Edgardo Vera He is the owner of a small supermarket in the town, he has been in that business for many years and he said that he has children and grandchildren for whom he is worried: “They are a small group, but they are together every day. They are a group, but they have been around for a long time, they hang flags, hold meetings, send ‘No to mining’ via the internet and WhatsApp. And it’s not like that, They know that Law 7722 meets all the requirements to be exploited. “Mendoza meets the requirements: whatever mining they want to do with Law 7,722, there is no problem.”
“We believe that responsible mining development is a historic opportunity for Uspallata. With the creation of this Chamber, we seek to be a bridge between mining activity and the development of our beloved town, always prioritizing the respect and well-being of our neighbors,” expressed the president of the entity.
Mining Mendoza Uspallata anti-mining escrache
As revealed by the Memo site, the merchant said that there are people who listen and who, out of fear, do not make complaints: “There are people out there who hear ‘that dwarf must be made to disappear, he’s rubbish’. Why? Why do I have a business and I have another thought? Why did I say that the future of children is in mining? Uspallata does not even have an industry,” he said, and stressed that “Chile is the best economy in South America, with an inflation of 2%, number 1 in the world in copper and they did not like it. Here in Uspallata there are several mines but the main one is copper. The environmentalists did not like it” .
When recounting how the violent events unfolded, Vera commented: “On Monday some grievances began to arrive, I did not answer anyone. On Tuesday it was more intensive, on Wednesday not to mention, there are complaints that are in the prosecutor’s office. There was a person who passed my phone number to other people so that they would hurt me and not buy me. That should not be done, each person chooses and has their own free thought of what they want or express. One is free, we are in a free country.” Vera said.
The inauguration of the Uspallata chamber was also supported by the construction union Uocrawho has expressed himself in favor of mining and the creation of jobs. “We have achieved important support and we believe that 80% of uspallatinos are in favor of mining,” said Vera.
What role will the Uspallata Chamber of Mining Services have?
The opening announcement of the Chamber indicated that its main objective is to bring together natural and legal persons related to mining activity, offering representation before public and private organizations, defending the interests of its members, and actively working to generate opportunities for Uspallata community.
Among the main actions that the Chamber will carry out are:
- Represent its associates before public and private organizations.
- Promote training and technical advice to strengthen the sector.
- Participate in legislative discussions on mining in the region.
- Develop social inclusion and sustainability programs for the community
- Mediate and resolve conflicts between partners to strengthen the spirit of cooperation.
Source: Ambito
I am Pierce Boyd, a driven and ambitious professional working in the news industry. I have been writing for 24 Hours Worlds for over five years, specializing in sports section coverage. During my tenure at the publication, I have built an impressive portfolio of articles that has earned me a reputation as an experienced journalist and content creator.
