Title: The LSM–ASM Interface in Peru: A Policy Bottleneck Explored Through QCA
Author/Institution: Á. Cano Roncagliolo, University of British Columbia
Publication Year: 2020
Why the LSM–ASM Interface Determines Governance Outcomes in Peru
Cano Roncagliolo’s thesis offers a foundational analysis of one of Peru’s most persistent governance challenges: the structural overlap between large-scale mining concessions and the spaces where tens of thousands of informal and artisanal miners operate. Far from being parallel systems, the study shows that LSM and ASM interact continuously—economically, territorially, and politically—creating a “policy bottleneck” that prevents clear pathways to formalization. Using QCA (Qualitative Comparative Analysis) to examine cases across multiple Peruvian regions, the research demonstrates that formalization cannot succeed unless the underlying land-tenure conflicts, regulatory fragmentation, and asymmetries of power between corporate actors and small-scale producers are directly addressed. The insights illuminate why REINFO struggles to produce results, why informal miners mobilize in protest, and why legal ambiguity persists even after a decade of reforms.
Territorial Conflict, Institutional Weakness, and Coexistence Dynamics
Methodologically, the study integrates comparative case analysis with institutional mapping to reveal how formalization outcomes depend on combinations of factors rather than single variables. These include concession overlaps, company tolerance or resistance to ASM presence, state enforcement capacity, availability of alternative livelihoods, and the political influence of local ASM networks. Cano Roncagliolo identifies patterns of “coexistence” where LSM companies informally accommodate ASM operations, as well as zones of escalating tension where both actors claim legitimate rights to land and resources. Crucially, the thesis shows that regulatory attempts focused only on registering miners—such as REINFO—do not address the structural causes of informality, which lie in decades of unmanaged concession grants, weak territorial planning, and inconsistent enforcement. Illegal economies thrive not because miners reject legality, but because the institutional architecture makes full compliance nearly impossible for many.
Implications for Formalization, Legitimacy, and Stakeholder Prosperity
The thesis has direct resonance with current debates on REINFO extensions, illegal mining enforcement, and the future of territorial governance in Peru. Cano Roncagliolo argues that formalization will not deliver legitimacy or economic inclusion unless it resolves the LSM–ASM interface, clarifies land rights, and provides realistic technical and financial support for miners transitioning into regulated systems. The findings underscore that social license cannot be built solely at the community level; it is shaped by national frameworks that determine whether miners perceive the state as an enabler of opportunity or an agent of exclusion. For regions facing criminal infiltration, environmental degradation, and rising territorial disputes, the research offers a critical lesson: a sustainable pathway to stakeholder prosperity requires integrating formalization, territorial planning, and conflict-sensitive governance, rather than treating informal mining as an administrative issue. In this sense, the thesis anticipates many of the tensions visible today in Peru’s debates over REINFO, enforcement operations, and the broader legitimacy of mining governance.