AMERICA/PERU -New appeal by the Church to dialogue on the mining issue: "Our country does not deserve to see repeated tragic episodes"

Lima (Agenzia Fides) - The Catholic Church of Peru called for a "fair, equitable and constructive" dialogue after the announcement of a strike against the mining activities in the department of Cajamarca (the Andes, 860 km north of the capital), and expressed its willingness to find a solution to social conflict (see Fides 18/11/2011). In a statement signed by its President, Mgr. Miguel Cabrejos Vidarte, OFM, Archbishop of Trujillo, of which a copy was sent to Fides, the Bishops' Conference asks for tolerance to reach a solution and warns that violence does not solve anything: "I ask to make every effort to build a culture of peace through fair, equitable, constructive dialogue, tolerant towards different opinions, and is founded on the defense of the inalienable dignity of the human person and the common good".
Some groups of Cajamarca have called a strike against the Minas Conga project, arguing that it damages the sources of water, even if the company responsible for the project is committed to building tanks that would double the capacity of the water. The government has promoted dialogue to address environmental problems affecting the implementation of the project, approved by the previous government, but the regional authorities of Cajamarca and groups who are opposed to the work in the mining field ask for the annulment of that project.
In this regard, the Peruvian Episcopal Conference said that the progress of Peru "requires dialogue on behalf of everyone", which means "giving and having access to complete and correct information". The Bishops added that this process is important since it serves to increase confidence and hope to build together a country in which all sectors have room for development. The Church, therefore, expressed its willingness to cooperate to establish channels of dialogue and understanding, "to overcome any issues that affect the peace process and the common good among the Peruvians". "Our country does not deserve to see repeated tragic episodes, which have brought grief to many families", the document said, referring to the violent protests and clashes between demonstrators and police a few days ago. (CE) (Agenzia Fides 25/11/2011)