https://www.miningweekly.com

Peru Presidential candidate fires warning to mining companies over copper

23rd February 2021

By: Reuters

  

Font size: - +

LIMA – Peruvian Presidential candidate Yohny Lescano, second in polls ahead of an April 11 election, fired a warning to mining companies on Monday, saying if elected he would look to make the state the ultimate owner of resources in the copper-rich Andean country.

Lescano, in a conference with the foreign press, said that he would draw up a new register of where mining could take place and seek "equitable" prices for the country, which is the world's second-largest producer of copper.

The lawyer and legislator emerged this month in second place in polls after nearly doubling his support to 10%, close behind former soccer goalkeeper George Forsyth, according to Ipsos Peru. Many Peruvians remain undecided over who to support.

The 62-year-old representative of the Popular Action party said while he was not in favor of nationalisation, Peru must always be the owner of its resources, which are currently leased off in concessions. "That must be modified," he said.

"That's why they give ridiculous prices... I think this is a very important part of being able to start collecting more, to get better equitable income, just for Peru. That does not mean that it will be nationalized, far from it," he said.

He added he was against Southern Copper's huge Tia Maria copper project, already halted for a decade by a social conflict, and that he would review a $5-billion project by State-owned Petroperu to modernie the Talara refinery.

Lescano added he was in favour of creating "a flag carrier," or state airline, and that he would promote a larger role for the state in remote areas of the country.

Edited by Reuters

Comments

The content you are trying to access is only available to subscribers.

If you are already a subscriber, you can Login Here.

If you are not a subscriber, you can subscribe now, by selecting one of the below options.

For more information or assistance, please contact us at subscriptions@creamermedia.co.za.

Option 1 (equivalent of R125 a month):

Receive a weekly copy of Creamer Media's Engineering News & Mining Weekly magazine
(print copy for those in South Africa and e-magazine for those outside of South Africa)
Receive daily email newsletters
Access to full search results
Access archive of magazine back copies
Access to Projects in Progress
Access to ONE Research Report of your choice in PDF format

Option 2 (equivalent of R375 a month):

All benefits from Option 1
PLUS
Access to Creamer Media's Research Channel Africa for ALL Research Reports, in PDF format, on various industrial and mining sectors including Electricity; Water; Energy Transition; Hydrogen; Roads, Rail and Ports; Coal; Gold; Platinum; Battery Metals; etc.

Already a subscriber?

Forgotten your password?

MAGAZINE & ONLINE

SUBSCRIBE

RESEARCH CHANNEL AFRICA

SUBSCRIBE

CORPORATE PACKAGES

CLICK FOR A QUOTATION