Photos and videos of Day 5 of Protest to protect the Conococha Lake - Huaraz, Ancash, Peru

[Derechos]

Youtube video of photos of paro of the city of Huaraz, the capital of the Ancash Department, which is about 30-40 minutes by bus from Lake Conococha - Huaraz is in the Huaraz province and neighbors the Recuay Province where Conococha is located and the strike started - Huaraz has been cut off from outside transit since Monday - Friday was the most violent day in the city - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F3hdTs4N8mg

Many businesses in Huaraz were attacked on Friday including nearly all the banks and the much loathed electric company Hidrandina -http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7QIA6v4UksM

Video of the stores in Huaraz that have been closed for much of the week - prices are starting to rise - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RpF6HGe5Iko

The situation remains very tense throughout the Sierra region of the Ancash Department. The protesters will accept nothing less than the Ministry of Energy and Mines rescinding of the concession granted to Centaur - locals fear the mining project will destroy Lake Conococha which feeds three principle rivers in the Ancash department including the Rio Santa. Offiials in Lima will not consider anything until the strike is lifted. Ancash politicians have also tried to politicize the crisis for their own political gain complicating matters. The national media had all but ignored the crisis until Friday, the 5th day of the crisis.

Meanwhile, unconfirmed reports from Huaraz have stated that the mining activity continues unabated.

[rabs]

1. Thanks for the updates: The "Huaratazo" turnout was impressive

Question: Is the mining project NORTH of Huaraz and endangers the water supply to that city?

See that the Nevado Huscaran is nearby too and Yungay appears on the map. Has Yungay been rebuilty on the same site destroyed by Nevado Huscaran. What was it, about 60,000 people killed when the city was buried?


Map of the region -- there seems to be a river running through Huaraz south to the lake.


http://www.andeanexplorer.com/english/chp5.htm


edit for typo

[Derechos]

2. Reply

The river that you see in the map is the Rio Santa. It flows from Lake Conococha, through the entire Callejon de Huaylas, and then travels down to the coast to the ocean. Although the Rio Santa is fed from other glacier lakes throughout the Callejon, the source of the River is Lake Conococha. So draining or contaminating the Lake (the fear of the protesters) will affect two regions of Ancash, the Sierra and the Costa. This lake is the first lake that you see from the bus once you arrive at the Callejon from the coast.

Conococha also feeds two other river systems inlcuding the Rio Fortaleza which flows into the national park Parque Huascaran.

The exploration of the mining project is very close to the lake. One of the main problems is that it seems the government has not required the an environmental impact study prior to authorizing the exploration of the area, although in the resolution authorizing the exploration, MEM has stated that the impacts will be "indirect." You can read the resolution here http://intranet2.minem.gob.pe/web/archivos/dgaam/certificado/CA_068_201.


Huascaran is very close and can be seen from Huaraz.

Yungay has been rebuilt but not in the same location. It is about a 10 to 15 minute walk from the original site which has been renamed Campo Santo and is now preserved as a monument to the tragedy of 1970 when the earthquake that had its epicenter in Huaraz caused a part of Huascaran to fall and create an aluvion that killed most of Yungay's inhabitants. Huaraz lost 80% of its buildings as well.

Update: There was a meeting yesterday in Huaraz and protest leaders have agreed to suspend the strike for 5 days to give the government a chance to install a mesa de dialogo. If the Mesa is not installed after 5 days, the protesters will initiate a new paro.
http://www.huaraznoticias.com/titulares/universitarios-a-ancash-se-le-respeta

[rabs]

3. Looks like People and Campesino Power have won, at least for now

Mining license’s cancellation ends Huaraz strikes

Minera Centauro, criticized the government after their exploring license was cancelled, reported La República.

Oswaldo Sánchez, Centauro representative, said “the government has made decisions based on false information provided by the Defense who lied to the people.”

He said the work Centauro's operations don't affect the lake. According to Sánchez “the village of Huambo knows and accepts this.”

A general strike, riots and a highway blockade paralyzed Huaraz for more than a week protesting against a mining concession given to Centauro.

http://www.livinginperu.com/news/13709

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Has to smack myself up alongside my head over my confusion of the Rio Santa, until realized the river runs NORTH from the Laguna Conococha then turns WEST to empty into the Pacific near Chimbote.

Also see where Centauro appears to be a purely Peruvian company. Had wondered if it was a multinational with either Chinese (Zijin) or U.S. interests.

Will have to wait to see whether Alan Garcia and his APRAistas react by sending in troops to the region. Hope not.