Protesters, government sign agreement to end violent …
Source: International Herald Tribune (Original Article)
LIMA, Peru: Protesters and Peru's central government have negotiated an end to violent demonstrations over mining royalties in the southern part of the country, a top official said Thursday.
The 10-day protest in Moquegua — in which 60 police officers were taken hostage at one point — was called to a halt after both sides met 14 hours through the night, said Jorge Del Castillo, cabinet chief to President Alan Garcia.
He did not provide details of the agreement.
Protesters had blocked a stretch of the Pan-American Highway to demand a bigger slice of mining royalties. Demonstrators also blocked a key bridge to the neighboring Tacna state, causing food and gasoline shortages.
Del Castillo said in a news conference Thursday that the roads would be cleared immediately.
The protest blocked access to Southern Copper Corp.'s Toquepala copper mine in Tacna, Cuajone mine and Ilo smelter in Moquegua, sending copper prices on the London Metal Exchange up to their highest point in almost a month.
About 100 police officers tried to break up the blockade Monday before being overtaken by 15,000 rock-throwing demonstrators. Some 57 officers were injured, and 60 were held hostage before they were released earlier in the week.
Moquegua residents were demanding that mining laws be changed to allocate royalties based on the amount of metal produced rather than the tonnage of metal-bearing earth that is removed from the mine.
Moquegua residents complain that Tacna receives more money from its mine because of the greater pumpkin carving pattern tonnage of earth hauled, even though the mine produces less metal.