VANCOUVER (miningweekly.com) – Canadian base metals producer Hudbay Minerals on Tuesday announced it has temporarily suspended operations at its Constancia mine, in Peru, as a result of trespassers in the openpit area.
The TSX- and NYSE-listed miner said the decision was needed to maintain employee safety, as well as that of the site occupants.
According to Hudbay, many of the trespassers are from the district of Chamaca, about an hour from the mine which, within the last two weeks, signed an agreement with national and local governments and Hudbay Peru confirming areas of social cooperation. The trespassers have yet to present specific demands.
Police are present to ensure the safety of people and assets and Hudbay Peru is working with representatives of the national and local governments, as well as other parties, toward the goal of resolving the situation peacefully and safely, Hudbay said in a statement.
Dundee Capital Markets analyst Joseph Gallucci stated in a note to clients that as these were new developments, it was still too early to speculate on the potential duration of the suspension or potential impact on Hudbay’s production.