Monterrico Metals pays for its violent past

With thanks due to regular reader 'MH' for the headsup, this report from the Peru Support Group brings news on how Monterrico Metals, widely featured on this blog in earlier times for its violence and general nastiness in treating Peru locals, has reached an out of court settlement with the people it terrorized and has been hit where it hurts a capitalist the most. Here's a past-out of proceedings.

Legal Proceedings Against Monterrico Metals Settled

20 July 2011

Legal proceedings against UK-based Monterrico Metals PLC by 33 members of a peasant community in northern Peru were settled earlier today by compensation payments, without admission of liability. The claimants allege torture by the Peruvian police after protesting at Monterrico's Rio Blanco copper mine in Piura in August 2005 (for a video outlining the allegations and background to the case please click here). The settlement means a hearing at the UK High Court, scheduled for October this year, will no longer go ahead. One consequence of this is that the full details of the events of August 2005 are unlikely ever to be established or publicly disclosed. Nevertheless, the Peru Support Group welcomes the payment of compensation to those who allegedly suffered mistreatment.
The Rio Blanco mine has been a key focal point for our organisation since March 2006 when we sponsored a meeting in the Houses of Parliament in which the project was debated. During the meeting, local citizens’ organisations and representatives from Monterrico Metals expressed radically different analyses of both the events of August 2005 and of the wider effects of the firm’s operations on development in Piura. To establish the veracity of their claims, PSG President Lord Avebury suggested we send an independent delegation to the region to visit the sites in question and discuss the project with local organisations and experts. With Monterrico Metals’s assent, the delegation travelled to Piura in October 2006 and its conclusions were subsequently published in our report entitled ‘Mining and Development in Peru, With Special Reference to the Rio Blanco Project, Piura’ (March 2007). We have also supported the legal proceedings subsequent to the report by providing UK law firm Leigh Day, who represented the claimants, with political context to the case, facilitating contact with Peruvian organisations and helping to coordinate translations of witness statements.
Today’s settlement represents a significant achievement for the claimants and communities affected by the events of 2005. However, it has not resolved all the outstanding issues related to the Rio Blanco project. Domestic attempts to prosecute police and private security officers who allegedly committed the abuses are yet to make much headway. Many in Piura also express concern over the likely environmental impact of the Rio Blanco project (now owned by Chinese firm Zijn) when it begins production later this year. As such, further tensions between the local communities and the mine operator cannot be ruled out.
Consequently, the PSG will continue to closely monitor developments around the project in Piura for the foreseeable future. In the meantime, we encourage the mine’s new owner to engage in regular, participatory dialogue with the local communities in an effort to minimise the risk of renewed social conflict.

My very favourite part of the current Majaz/Rio Blanco court hearing

Andrew Bristow, prize shit

Right now a court case is going on the the UK to try and get to the bottom of the Majaz/Rio Blanco torture case that we've featured on this humble corner of cyberspace quite a lot. Here's my very favourite quote from proceedings so far, part of the depositions made by witnesses late last week:

The engineers José Saavedra and Darwin Palacios as well as workers Eugenio Castro and Román Tirado Villar, confirmed that the company (Monterrico Metals) coordinated the reprisal operation against the protestors.

Román Tirado, administrator of the Rio Blanco camp, kept in constant contact with Andrew Bristow Bevege, Director and General Manager of the company, who ordered the security company 'Forza' and the police to abuse and torture the protestors.

José Saavedra affirmed that "Román Tirado gave instructions to the police, the workers and to Forza about the villagers, said that they were terrorists and they had to be treated as such. He also was in charge of taking the photographs".

We always suspected Andrew Bristow to be a total shit. Now we know.

Monterrico Metals moves into Ecuador?

Public relations Monterrico Metals style, coming
to an Andean nation near you soon

Once upon a time when Aurelian was top of the agenda, Otto got quite a lot of useful info out of Ecuador's mining ministry via his own little garganta profunda. All has been kinda quiet on that front recently, but then suddenly in the last couple of days the weirdest message appeared over the World-Wide-Ottoscope.

Apparently, the thugs and human rights tramplers at Monterrico Metals (MNA.L), including the odious liar Andrew Bristow (gives kiwis a bad name) aren't satisfied with torturing and beating up Peruvian locals (see all the coverage on Majaz for full details) and want to expand their bullyboy activities into the nascent Ecuadorian mining industry, too. Word is that MNA.L has put out feelers in the Mining Ministry and wants to know if there are any good copper projects going on their side of the border.

IKN's advice to Studmuffin: Don't do it, Rafa....these dudes bring seriously nasty baggage with them and will screw up your metallic plans bigtime. Just say no to Bristow, Ecuador.

The Monterrico Metal Torturers: They're after you in Sweden now, bitches

Thought we'd forgotten about you, Bristow?

Check out the following, kindly sent along earlier by reader MH. Straight pastes of the two reports about how Sweden's Securitas are investigating the torture of locals in Peru. They're coming at you from all sides now, Bristow. Run and hide and don't tell anyone! Great PR tactics so far, idiot!

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Unofficial translation provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre:

Company owned by Securitas accused of torture

Ove Gustavsson, GT-Expressen, 10 Feb 2009

http://www.gt.se/Nyheter/1.1462069/securitasagt-bolag-anklagas-for-tortyr

The Peruvian company Forza, owned by Swedish Securitas, is accused of having tied and beaten demonstrators – one to death. The abuses are said to have occurred at a demonstration against a mining operation in Rio Blanco, in Peru, 2005. According to Reuters, photographs representing the alleged incident have been published by a Peruvian human rights association.

- If this is true we have to take action, says Gisela Lindstrand, [Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications] at Securitas AB to Expressen.se.

The photographs, distributed by an anonymous source, show men covered in blood with their hands tied behind their backs and plastic bags over their heads. One of the men is later seen dead in another photograph. In the photographs one can also see men wearing vests with the text Forza.

The photos clearly show that personnel of Forza played an active role in the repression and torture, said Javier Jahncke at the human rights organisation Fedepaz to Reuters.

The tortured men are said to be demonstrators against the mining operation which was about to start in Rio Blanco in 2005.

Local police accused

The company Forza was responsible for the mining venture’s security.

Also local police are accused of having helped put down the demonstration.

After receiving the allegations, Peru’s congress is initiating an investigation of the incident.

- We have contacted our subsidiary and we are investigating this in peace and quiet, says Gisela Lindstrand [Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications] at the international section of Securitas AB.

According to her, Securitas bought Forza in 2007, two years after the alleged events.

- If this is true and these persons remain at the company we have to take action.

Distancing itself

Gisela Lindstrand explains that Securitas asked Forza if they comply with laws and regulations when it bought the company.

Securitas distances itself from the behavior shown in the photographs.

- It is not conceivable that we would act this way. We are a serious security company, says Gisela Lindstrand.

Reuters have been in touch with Forza, but they decline to comment.

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Unofficial translation provided by Business & Human Rights Resource Centre:

Company owned by Securitas investigated for torture

Norrlänska Socialdemokraten, 10 Feb 2009

http://www.nsd.se/nyheter/artikel.aspx?ArticleID=4425926

A company which is today owned by the Swedish security group Securitas will be investigated in Peru concerning suspected torture and abuse of the local population in relation to surveillance of mines in the country.

- We are trying to find out what has happened. It will take a while to investigate, says Gisela Lindstrand, Securitas Group [Senior Vice President for Corporate Communications], to TT [Tidningarnas Telegrambyrå].

Peru’s congress has said that suspected crimes by police and private security firms in 2005 will be investigated. Prosecutors are allegedly already working on it.

Last month, a human rights organization published photographs of men and women protesting against mining in Rio Blanco, in Peru.

The victims bled heavily and some had their hands tied behind their backs and plastic bags over their heads. One photograph shows a man bleeding heavily from his neck, and another photograph shows the same man dead one day later, according to Reuters.

“Want to investigate”

In one photograph, an armed guard from the company Forza, can be seen. Forza was bought by the multinational Securitas in 2007.

The photos clearly show that personnel of Forza played an active role in the repression and torture, said Javier Jahncke at the human rights organization to Reuters.

Lindstrand reports that she contacted Peru on Tuesday.

- I have spoken with our country manager and said that I want an investigation into what happened.

In Rio Blanco, Forza is working for the mining company Moterrico, which was bought by the Chinese Group Zijin in 2007. The mining company states that the allegations are one in a sequence of “resistance activities” against mining activity.

The police force in Peru is under-funded. Security at the country’s remote mines is contracted out to private security companies, which in turn hire former policemen and soldiers. They often face local protests against the social and environmental downsides of mining.

Trained security guards

According to human rights organizations, private companies often go way beyond the limits of the law in their assignments.

Lindstrand points out that the company [Forza] was bought after the suspected abuse, and that all Securitas Group’s security guards are trained in human rights.

- If this has happened, it is something which could never happen today, because now Securitas’ rules apply.

- TT: Can you guarantee that even in remote locations in Peru?

- Yes, actually I can, replies Lindstrand.

Monterrico Metals: Death threats for the whistleblowing journalist

Surprise surprise. Thugs is as thugs do and all that stuff, the guy who dared to tell the truth about the torture suffered at the hands of Monterrico Metals is now getting death threats on his private cellular phone. Thanks to a headsup from the nice people at the Peruvian National Coordinator for Human Rights (gracias chicos), here below is their story put through the Ottotrans™, the original of which you can find here.

This story is not going away, Andrew Bristow, Richard Ralph and all the other corporate liars attached to MNA.L: You guys give the mining industry a bad name and thanks to the efforts of people like Julio Vasquez who are not cowed by threats you'll never mine an ounce of Peru's soil. The sooner you're out of business the better.

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Reporter for Radio Cutivalú threatened with Death for reporting Majaz Tortures

Actions are now being taken to protect the journalist from Piura, himself a victim of the torture.

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The journalist from Radio Cutivalú, Julio Vásquez Calle, reports having receivec constant death threats via anonymous phone calls made to his cellular phone. This is due to him being one of the victims who made public photos that testify to the kidnapping and torture he suffered along with 28 other villagers from the provinces of Ayabaca and Huancabamba (Piura) and Jaén and San Ignacio (Cajamarca) in the installations of the mining company Majaz (now Rio Blanco Copper S.A. in 2005. The incident involved high-ranking officers of the Peru National Police Force, the security firm Forza and functionaries of the Majaz Mining.

Due to this serious allegation made by Vásquez Calle, the Ecumenical Foundation for Development and Peace (FEDEPAZ) manifests its concern for the risk that the life of said journalist faces.

Because of this, FEDEPAZ, the legal advisor of the journalist, has reported to diverse international organisms concerned with the protection of Human Rights in order that they intercede with the current national administration to offer necessary protection in light of the constant threats that put his life in danger.

At the same time, reports are being presented to the National Fiscal Office to demand an exhaustive investigation and to the Defender of the People's Office (ombudsman) so that they, in compliance with their function, intercede with the relevant organisms in order to protect and safeguard his personal intergrity.

Finally, it should be mentioned that the Vásquez case is a repeated one, as local Piura authorities as well as the Defenders of Human Rights and Environment that have taken up the defence of the communities of Ayabaca and Huancabamba, amongst then members of FEDEPAZ, have also been victims of threats, surveillance, phone-tapping and unfounded accusations.

The Monterrico Torturers: Peru's Congress will lay the blame on the company

Ooh, lordy! Dana Ford at Reuters Lima has just filed a great note about the Monterrico torture case, and you can read it below. If, as seems to be the case, the blame is being settled on the heads of the privately contracted security company (now owned by Swiss group Securitas) by the Peruvian Congressional enquiry, this mean Monterrico (MNA.L) is well and truly on the hook for the things that took place inside its grounds in August 2005. As contractor, it is directly responsible for their actions, y'see.

Last time I looked MNA.L stock was trading at 44p or so in London. Take 40p or so away from that price in the very near future. Hey Bristow, you and your disgusting company are toast, you pig.

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Peru mining security firm faces investigation

By Dana Ford

LIMA, Feb 5 (Reuters) - A Peruvian security company that works for some major international mining firms faces a congressional investigation after human rights groups accused it of beating and abusing protesters in 2005 at a site it guarded.

Recently published photos of alleged beatings of protesters caused an uproar in Peru, a leading metals exporter, where remote mines guarded by private security firms are often targets for demonstrations over the social and environmental impacts of mining.

Last month, the National Coordinating Committee for Human Rights, a leading non-governmental rights group, published photographs of men and women allegedly beaten by guards and police after a 2005 protest at the Rio Blanco mining project.

The $1.4 billion development was protected by Forza, one of Peru's largest security companies.

"The photos clearly show that personnel of Forza played an active role in the repression and torture," said Javier Jahncke at Fedepaz, another rights group that joined the National Coordinating Committee in filing a complaint on the case.

The National Coordinating Committee said the photos were sent by an anonymous whistleblower. One shows a man bleeding from his neck and another shows the same man a day later, dead.

Peru's Congress said it would open an inquiry into whether crimes were committed by police and private security forces in response to a protest. Public prosecutors are already conducting their own investigation.

Forza's press office referred Reuters to Switzerland's Securitas which bought the Peruvian company in 2007, but an official there said Forza was in charge of handling inquiries. Reuters again contacted Forza, which declined to comment.

The images show protesters caked in blood, with hands tied behind their backs and plastic bags over their heads. A man in an orange vest with "Forza" printed on it poses in one shot, holding a gun and staring at the camera.

The mining project is owned by Monterrico Metals , which was bought by China's Zijin in 2007.

Monterrico's investor relations manager, Andrew Bristow, was not available for comment. But when the photographs first emerged, he said the allegations were the latest in a long list of "opposition activity" meant to derail the project.

Forza, whose clients also include major energy firms, has been investigated on a similar complaint once before, but the government dropped the case due to a lack of evidence.

Police work is underfunded in Peru and nearly nonexistent in remote areas where foreign mining companies work.

Private firms fill the void, often hiring current or former police and military personnel. Rights groups say they go beyond the law in enforcing security.

"Where there are no police, private security companies act like the police," said Jahncke "In many cases, they push past the limit of what is legal."

Peru has 92,000 police officers and 100,000 people who work in private security, according to a 2008 United Nations study.

Ricardo Ganiku Furugen, who heads the government agency that oversees private security firms, said he is waiting for public prosecutors to finish their investigation before deciding on whether to revoke Forza's work permit.

"The final report will come to us and we will see then if the situation demands cancellation of the contract," he said. (Editing by Fiona Ortiz and Kieran Murray)

dana.ford@thomsonreuters.com;

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Related Posts
Monterrico Metals (MNA.L): Seems like Peru is trying to kick the torturers out
Monterrico Metals Torture: The Peru gov't opens its official enquiry
The Monterrico Metals Torturers: Bad news Bristow, this case is not going away

Monterrico Metals (MNA.L): Seems like Peru is trying to kick the torturers out

Having a pleasant January, Bristow?

There ain't no fat lady singing yet, but check out this news report that hit the evening of Monday 26th January. Seems as though the bad publicity has finally brought the Peruvian government to its senses and they're trying to find a way of kicking Monterrico out. YAY!

It's all a bit stuffy bureauspeak, but what it boils down to is that Rio Blanco Copper (the subsidiary of Monterrico Metals (MNA.L) that holds the Peru concessions) has failed to get its Environmental Study done on time and the Gov't has just refused it extra time to get it done. So unless MNA.L has pulled a fast one with some legalese, it means that they have lapsed on the terms. That means no more soup for you and bye bye scumbags, hasta nunca, out of Peru and out of business. Now wouldn't that be sad?

Via Ottotrans™

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LIMA: The General Directorate of Mining Environmental Affairs (DGAAM) of the Ministry of Energy and Mines has denied, via the autodirectoral 0032-2009/MEMAAM, the prolonging of an extra 70 working days that was requested by the mining Company Río Blanco Cooper S.A. to comply with the 45 observations made in connection with its Semi-Detailed Environmental Impact Study (EIAsd) for the exploration enlargement project until 2010.

As is public knowledge, the observations made by the DGAAM of MINEM, the municipalities of the Piura region and diverse social organizations were to have been addressed in the lapse of 15 working days as established under the current regulations, or in the contrary, according to the ministry's own report, the EIAsd of Río Blanco Copper S.A (previously Majaz) would not be approved.

This deadline passed last Friday 23rd January. If until then the company did not present its reply or if the reply was insufficient, it is the duty of the DGAAM to disallow the EIAsd, although it is possible that the mining company present an administrative procedure desist (as it has done before) to avoid disapproval.

Monterrico Metals: How to contact the company

Bristow

Amazilia who runs the blog Peru Apartheid and has been doing a great job in following the Monterrico Metals (MNA.L) torture case in the Spanish language has just left a comment on Monterrico under this post.

Amazilia asked how to get in touch with the company. Find below the necessary addresses, telephone numbers and e-mails, but maybe you'd be more interested in contacting Monterrico's IR man Andrew Bristow directly as seems he is the likely source of the orders to torture the locals in the first place. His mail is

abristow@monterrico.com

As for the official contact info, here you are. Enjoy.

Corporate Head Office

Suite 1601, 16/F., Sino Plaza
255-257 Gloucester Road
Causeway Bay
Hong Kong

Tel : +852 2803 2738
Fax: +852 2803 0878
e-mail: info@monterrico.com


Peruvian Subsidiary Head Office

Rio Blanco Copper S.A.
Av. San Borja Sur 143
San Borja
Lima 41
Peru

Telephone no: +51 1 226 3322
e-mail: lima@monterrico.com

The Monterrico Metals Torturers: Bad news Bristow, this case is not going away

Bristow, we don't like you very much.

Two developments to report, with thanks due to regular reader Matt for the headsup.

1. On Peru's CNR radio this morning, Andrew Bristow (Monterrico Metal's IR person and glorious piece of shit) said the following:

"I am not going to go into this situation (story), it doesn't seem appropriate to me. Anybody can make accusations of any type and I'm not going to get into some kind of media debate about it..... I'm not going to participate. I repeat, the company Río Blanco Copper will have to make a decision (first)."

All this was connected with the clear case of torture we've covered here over the last week (see below for previous posts). It was also connected with declarations made by the journalist Julio Vásquez who was kidnapped along with the 28 indigenous locals. Vásquez said on the program that while being held and tortured at Majaz (now called Río Blanco) for the three days, he heard one of the Majaz people say that they were tortured "on orders from Bristow", who was at the time operations manager at the mine.

2. Today Otto received the following e-mail (via the kind Matt) from the Human Rights National Coordinator of Peru (CNDDHH). It also came with a very interesting attachment that you can access yourself by clicking right here.

The good news is that CNDDHH (who is the bigboy Peru national body...this is not some scrawny NGO people, these people are the real deal) is sending a representative over to London next week to spread the word about the disgusting Monterrico Metals and their torture tactics in Peru. This story is not going away, Bristow (and I already know you read the blog, you fat slob. Otto got good spies).

Here's the mail in full; feel free to contact Baraybar on the mail address provided.

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Dear Friends:

I am writing you from the Human Rights National Coordinator of Peru; a non profit organization who works on the protection of the human rights in our country. I’m writing in regard of the latest event’s in the “Majaz Case”, where some security officers of the Majaz Mine and a group of Peruvian police officers tortured a group of peaseants.

Please, find enclosed the letter that the Executive Secretary of our organization are sending to many internationals institutions in the effort of showing to the International comunitee this emblematic case.

Also, we hope you can express your concern about the problem of the torture, and the importance of an in-depth investigation in the case we have made reference in the letter enclosed, to the Peruvian authorities.

One of our collegues, Mr. Juan Pablo Baraybar from the Peruvian Equipment of Forensic Anthropology (EPAF)will be in London during next days. For further information you can contact him at baraybar(AT)epafperu.org

Yours Sincerely,

Carmela Chávez Irigoyen
Responsible of International Affairs
Human Rights National Coordinator of Peru
Phone: 00511 419 1111 extension 111 / 00511 9 9995 3745 (cel phone)

Fax: 0051 1 419 1112
Address: Pezet y Monel (antes Tupac Amaru) 2467 Lince Lima – Perú
www.dhperu.org

http://blog.dhperu.org/


Related Posts

Monterrico Metals: How Peru's Police and British miners use torture to control populations

Monterrico Metals and the Majaz Torture: At long last the Peru gov't reacts

The Monterrico Metals torture case: Who is to blame?

Monterrico torture update: Reuters Lima RULES

Monterrico torture update: Reuters Lima RULES

Andrew Bristow, maker of large IR mistakes

A large w00t and shoutout for Reuters, the first large English language news organization to pick up on the story of the Monterrico Metals (MNA.L) torture and the revealing photos. Here's the link, so go read it yourself.

And finally someone has managed to get a squeak out of the company, so full kudos goes to the reporter, Dana Ford. And the quote might be short, but it's a real beauty. Monterrico's IR dude Andrew Bristow said it was: "One of an enormous number of things that have happened in terms of opposition activity to the project."

LOL!!! You mean this is only one of the tactics MNA.L has used over the years to beat peaceful protestors into submission? Priceless! File this under "can't-make-this-shit-up-of-the-week". A report out today said that 5,500 jobs have been lost in Peru's mining and metallurgy sector due to the world downturn. Let's make that 5,501 because when Bristow's bosses find out what kind of shitstorm he's just unleashed you can guarantee a pinkslip in his mailbox.

So anyway, nice job Reuters for getting there first. The more people know about the disgusting actions of this company the better for everyone. Except Bristow. Hah!


UPDATE: AP just added copy on the story. C'mon boyz, let's make more noise.