Expansion Plans Meet Fresh Opposition
In Peru’s Apurímac region, local and Indigenous communities have mobilised in protest against proposed modifications to the mine’s environmental impact assessment (EIA), which they say were submitted without proper consultation. The amendments reportedly include significant changes to the mine’s operational footprint and waste- management plans, while effects on water sources in high-altitude wetlands remain inadequately studied. The complaint is that the process lacked transparency, limiting the opportunity for meaningful input from affected communities.
Trust Deficit Deepens as Legacy Issues Persist
Despite the mine producing a major share of Peru’s copper output and contributing to national exports, the affected communities argue that decades of environmental and economic promises remain unfulfilled. Road-blockades, compensation disputes, and interrupted transport corridors have recurrently disrupted operations. The current conflict adds to an accumulation of grievances—particularly around water management, land rights and benefit-sharing arrangements—and highlights how regulatory approvals alone do not suffice to secure the social licence to operate.
Implications for Permitting and Supply-Chain Stability
For Peru, the Las Bambas situation illustrates a broader challenge: advancing large-scale extractive projects while meeting international expectations on Indigenous rights, environmental due diligence and community engagement. Investors and operators seeking stable copper supply from the region must now weigh not only geology and logistics but also the strength of stakeholder relationships and risk of disruption. The outcome of this dispute could influence not just this mine, but reform trajectories across the Andean mining sector.