Agro Sí, Mina No: Explaining the Onset of Protest Surrounding Mining Projects in Peru

Abstract

Durante la última década, Perú ha sido testigo de un aumento constante de la actividad de protesta, a menudo relacionada con la extracción de recursos naturales. De 2006 a 2016, el número de actos de protesta aumentó de 73 a más de 200 por mes. Sin embargo, este aumento fue mucho más frecuente en algunas provincias que en otras. ¿Qué explica la variación en las protestas en torno a los proyectos mineros en el Perú? Este proyecto agregará matices al debate actual entre el crecimiento económico y las prácticas extractivas.

Over the past decade, Peru has witnessed a steady increase in protest activity, often related to natural resource extraction. From 2006 to 2016, the number of protest events rose from 73 to over 200 per month. Yet this increase was far more prevalent in some provinces than others. What explains variation in protest surrounding mining projects in Peru? Although scholarly work on protest is extensive, studies on Peru remain limited and focus on the grievances of social actors and the political conditions that allow mobilization. However, after conducting an exploratory study in the agricultural area of the Tambo Valley, I encountered the possible friction between mining activities and agriculture. I examine the interaction between agricultural importance and a mining company’s announcement as a determinant of variation in protest across Peruvian provinces between 2011 and 2015. I hypothesize that a mining company’s announcement of the creation or advancement of a mining project in Peru has a greater effect on the likelihood of protest, if the mining project is in a mostly agricultural province. In a context in which protests are widespread, this project will add nuance to the current debate between economic growth and extractive practices in mining countries like Peru.