One person has died and a renowned anti-mining activist has been arrested as Peruvians protest against a multi-billion dollar gold mine. The second day of unrest follows the imposition of a state of emergency to curb the violent protests.
The state of emergency was introduced on Tuesday in Cajamarca and two neighboring provinces after three people were killed during a deadly riot in the region.The latest series of protests are in opposition to the $4.8 billion Conga gold mine which demonstrators say would contaminate their water supplies.The venture, which was temporarily halted last year, was set to resume after the Government announced a new set of conditions in June that would allow the project to proceed.Opponents supported by provincial president, Gregorio Santos, vowed to stop it.The anti-mining action sparked Tuesday’s violence in which three civilians were killed and more than 20 were wounded.A day after the deadly strike, one more person was killed during a meeting organized by a prominent anti-mining advocate.Marca Arana himself was detained and charged with organizing meetings, which is prohibited under the state of emergency law.While in prison, Arana complained of police brutality via twitter, saying they had punched him in the face and kidneys.Chief local prosecutor Johnny Diaz has started an investigation into the claim, reports the Associated Press.This is the second state of emergency that has been declared in the country in just over a month.