Majaz: Community referendum in Carmen de la Frontera

Community referendum held on September 16th, 2007 in the city of Sapalache, province of Carmen de la Frontera in the state of Piura, northern Peru.

The referendum was organized by the municipality in the hopes of peacefully resolving the conflict between the community and the Majaz mining company. The company plans to construct a massive copper mine in a fragile cloud forest that supplies water to the entire region.

There are more than 718 mining concessions in the state of Piura and the referendum aims to determine if local communities want mining in this agricultural area. Unlike normal Peruvian elections where abstinence is penalized, the referendum was voluntary and no one was fined for not taking part.

Although the referendum is not legally binding, the results show that Majaz and other mining companies do not have a social license to work in the area.

TOTAL Eligible Voters: 5 347
Percentage of Voter Abstinence:
General Elections 2001: 26 percent
General Elections 2006: 12 percent

Votes cast: 3 053 (57 percent of the total electorate)
Votes in favor of mining in the district: 73
Votes against mining in the district: 2 825
Blank ballots: 48
Spoiled ballots: 107

Produced by GUARANGO Cine y VIDEO
http://www.guarango.org/tambogrande

Camera: Javier Becerra H.
Sound: Julio Castro
Edition: Javier Becerra H.

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Community
• referendum
• carmen
• frontera
• mining
• peru
• environment
• Majaz
• Case
• Huancabamba
• Perou
• Rio
• Blanco
• Piura
• Yanta

[willderasi]

ahora si q sepan q' la poblacon del peru profundo no se deje, engañar por los politicos y el presidente alan garcia q es un corrupto