Operations at Las Bambas copper mine in Southern Peru suffered due to a four-day roadblock by residents living around the mine. The blockade disrupted transport of ore for exports.
Residents of three communities in the Chumbivilcas province, flouted social distancing norms and blocked the roadway since July 23 in a protest to demand greater benefits from the wealth generated from the mines as copper prices continued to surge.
Las Bambas is a joint venture between MMG (62.5pc), Guoxin International (22.5pc) and CITIC Metal Co. Ltd (15.0pc). While the major shareholder in the Australian miner MMG is China Minmetals. It is the largest copper mine in Peru with an annual production of around 400,000mt. The concentrate extracted from the open pit mine is transported by truck and rail to the Port of Matarani in Arequipa and shipped to customers worldwide with most exports being sent to China.