Hudbay announced this week it had temporarily suspended operations at its Constancia mine in Peru because trespassers had accessed the open pit area.
“The decision is necessary for the safety of employees and the people occupying the site,” the company said in a news release issued late Tuesday afternoon.
Hudbay said many of the trespassers came from the district of Chamaca, about an hour from the mine, which had recently signed an agreement with national and local governments and Hudbay confirming areas of social cooperation.
“The trespassers have yet to present specific demands,” the company said.
Hudbay said police were present to ensure the safety of people and assets, and that it was working with national and local government representatives, and other parties, to try and resolve the situation safely and peacefully.
Hudbay’s Constancia copper mine has been the subject of local protests in the past. The mine remained suspended as of Thursday morning.
Having entered production in 2015, Constancia is now Hudbay’s major copper and silver producer. In Q3 2016, the mine produced 77 per cent of the company’s copper and
72 per cent of its silver.
In the same quarter, Hudbay’s 777, Reed and Lalor mines in northern Manitoba produced 100 per cent of the company’s zinc and 77 per cent of its gold.
