Peru gold miner Poderosa says fresh criminal attack leaves one dead

LIMA (Reuters) – Poderosa, one of Peru’s largest gold miners, said on Wednesday that it had faced a fresh attack by “criminals” linked to illegal mining on one of its facilities in the Andean nation, which left a security agent dead.

Another person was injured by inhaling toxic fumes in the attack in the Amazonian province of Pataz, Poderosa said in a statement in which it also offered condolences to the family of the security agent, an employee of security firm Huayna SAC.

Armed criminals attacked a facility with explosives, an incident that began before 5 p.m. on Tuesday and went on well past midnight.

This year, the company has said that a power outage and attacks on electricity towers were caused by illegal miners, and in December a raid left nine dead and 15 more injured in a Poderosa mine. In the last two years, at least 30 people have been killed nationwide in armed attacks on gold mines.

“Despite the significant police presence in Pataz, these attacks against our operations have not ceased,” Poderosa said.

“This spiral of violence is a response to the exponential growth of illegal mining in collusion with organized crime, an alliance that operates with absolute impunity.”

It urged Congress not to extend the mandate of a formalization program for small-scale miners known as REINFO that is set to expire at the end of the year, accusing it of enabling illegal mining.

The miner also called on the state to strengthen its efforts against illegal mining and boost control of processing plants receiving the products of illegal mines.

Peru is a major global producer of and gold.