Fresh mining protest hits Peru, one dead - Gayo Lues

The violence erupted a day after three people were killed and 21 injured during a same protest in the town of Celendin.

“One death has been confirmed, a civilian,” Prime Minister Oscar Valdes told a press conference on Wednesday.

Marco Arana, a protest leader and a former Roman Catholic priest, had been beaten and has been taken into police custody during the Wednesday protest.

“They detained me and beat me a lot, inside the police station they beat me again – punches in the face, the kidneys and insults,” Arana said via Twitter.

President Ollanta Humala also is criticized for suspending freedom of assembly in the area late on Tuesday.

On Tuesday, Police used tear gas and batons to disperse the angry protesters who are against a planned USD 4.8 billion gold mine project by US-based Newmont in northern Peru.

Peru’s government also declared a state of emergency in three provinces after the violent protest.

The protesters say the project will pollute the area’s lakes and rivers by contaminating water supplies.

Peru’s anti-mining demonstrators accuse the president of betraying his campaign promise that access to clean water would come before mining.

DB/JR