Tomas knows absolutely nothing. We've had the misfortune of mentioning twice on this blog the social trainwreck known as the Winchumayo mine in the Itaupa region of Puno, Peru. Today comes episode three of the saga.
If one day you find yourself in a jeweller's shop in Peru buying gold, have a think about what kind of people you're supporting with your potential purchase. The whole episode is still shrouded in some mystery, with obfuscation aggregated by an idiot of an Interior Minister (APRA party surprise surprise) Octavio Salazar who acted too hasily on erroneous police information and declared to the country that there had been no deaths whatsoever and only five injured, which is clearly untrue according to multiple local reports and hospital stats. What's certainly true is that there was a meeting of locals and then an organized band of hoods moved in with firearms and blades to add their point of view to the discussions taking place.
Meanwhile, the scumball Cenzano is trying his hardest to wash his hands. This morning he stated to local newspaper Los Andes that "I no longer have anything to do with the mine, I have already transferred everything", which translated into LatAm realspeak likely means "I've signed all my ownership rights to this social, environmental and political deathtrap to some friend or other until this all blows over and then he'll sign it all back to me later".
- First, this post in March chronicled the landslide and resulting multiple deaths at the site.
- Next, this post on September 22nd explained how, contrary to several pieces of legislation, APRA party member of congress Tomás Cenzano just happens to be an owner of the mine. Not only that, but the scumball hasn't paid taxes for gawdknows how long and according the Peru's SUNAT tax office his company owes the state over U$34m in unpaid tributes.
- Now the latest from the Winchumayo mine is how, on Saturday, locals held a meeting to discuss the true owenrship of the mine, how it would move forward etc. While the meeting was happening, a gang of masked men attacked the assembled group and left (according to reports) between three and ten dead and many people injured.
If one day you find yourself in a jeweller's shop in Peru buying gold, have a think about what kind of people you're supporting with your potential purchase. The whole episode is still shrouded in some mystery, with obfuscation aggregated by an idiot of an Interior Minister (APRA party surprise surprise) Octavio Salazar who acted too hasily on erroneous police information and declared to the country that there had been no deaths whatsoever and only five injured, which is clearly untrue according to multiple local reports and hospital stats. What's certainly true is that there was a meeting of locals and then an organized band of hoods moved in with firearms and blades to add their point of view to the discussions taking place.
The question, as always, is 'cui bono?' and the answer comes in Latin, too; status quo.
Meanwhile, the scumball Cenzano is trying his hardest to wash his hands. This morning he stated to local newspaper Los Andes that "I no longer have anything to do with the mine, I have already transferred everything", which translated into LatAm realspeak likely means "I've signed all my ownership rights to this social, environmental and political deathtrap to some friend or other until this all blows over and then he'll sign it all back to me later".