The Peruvian government has announced a strategic push to promote seven mining projects in Cajamarca, valued at more than US$12 billion, as part of a broader national investment portfolio. Cajamarca has long been one of the country’s most resource-rich regions, yet it also embodies many of the tensions between extractive activity, social conflict, and regional underdevelopment. By prioritizing this set of projects, the government signals its intent to not only expand mineral production but also to address the geographic concentration of investment in areas with high poverty and longstanding demands for infrastructure and jobs.
This initiative is particularly important because it comes at a time when global demand for copper, gold, and other critical minerals is intensifying due to the energy transition. Cajamarca’s projects, if implemented effectively, could place Peru in a stronger position as a reliable supplier of minerals essential for renewable energy technologies, electric vehicles, and global industrial demand. The scale of investment also has the potential to generate thousands of jobs, attract international financing, and strengthen fiscal revenues, which are crucial for social spending and regional development.
However, the significance of this announcement also lies in the risks it entails. Cajamarca is historically a flashpoint for social conflict related to mining, with communities often expressing deep mistrust toward both government and companies due to past experiences of environmental damage and unmet development promises. Promoting US$12 billion worth of projects therefore highlights the urgency of building stronger frameworks of community engagement, environmental safeguards, and benefit-sharing mechanisms. Success in Cajamarca would not only unlock economic growth but also demonstrate that Peru can reconcile mineral exploitation with sustainable and inclusive development—an outcome closely watched by both domestic and international stakeholders