DOCUMENT: COJPITA.TXT
LEGAL COMMISSION OF THE INTEGRATION PEOPLES
TAWANTINSUYANA - COJPITA
10th PERIOD OF SESSIONS OF THE WORKING GROUP
ON INDIGENOUS POPULATIONS IN THE U.N.O.
CONTAMINATION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
AND VIOLATION OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS
Mme. Chairperson,
being at the end of the 20th century and at the
beginning of a new one, the Century for the Indigenous
Peoples, in our Quechua, Aymara, Puquina and Kollanguas
peoples of Peru - South America, we see every day the
children traffic, old people and women without food, because
the land is being depredated and left without force due to
the environmental contamination in the valleys of Tambo de
Arequipa. Our indian brothers and sisters are left behind in
a totally unfruitful land.
It doesn't have to call your attention, Mme. Chair,
that this phenomena is daily killing human beings. The
environmental contamination is contiguous to the violation
of the Human Rights, for they simply cause the death of
human beings in a very sophisticated way, also with the
protection of certain governments that cover this up or are
even directly responsible for this violation of the Human
Rights and the environment.
LA COJPITA has investigated this case which is exposed
in a synthesis here.
The melting plant of Ilo which belongs to the Sauther
Peru Copper Corporation (SPCC) and is functioning since 1960
is causing an atmospheric contamination in the valleys of
Tambo, Ensenada, Mejia, in the regions of Arequipa and Jose
Carlos Mariategui in Peru, which destroys the agriculture.
It is already for many years, that the smoke of the
mines of Toquepala in charge of the Sauther Peru Copper
Corporation, which threatens the agriculture and the
survival of the indian population of the Tambo Valley is
being tolerated by them.
The final process to obtain blister copper consists in
eliminating the sulphur which is chemically bound to the
copper in form of copper sulphur. To reach this a
concentrate of the mineral is submitted to very high
temperatures in the melting ovens. The sulphur is then
combined with the air oxygen forming a gas complex, anhidrid
sulphur, which leaves the copper in a free metallic
consistence. This has caused many damages in the health of
children like asthma.
The worst damages are caused in the agriculture. In
Ilo, due to its vicinity to the melting plant the leaves of
the plants are burned each time the winds change direction
and bring the smoke into the valley. The consequence is a
continuous drought of the region, especially of the alfalfa
as food for the cattle.
In front of this deplorable situation in which the
peasant have to hungry, which pushes many labourers to leave
and the loss of work for indian women and men, what shall we
do, Mme. Chair? Should we stop the melting indefinitely,
export the concentrated mineral or pay the indians for the
damages they suffer from having to live without being able
to grow crops, so that they live from the compensation?
Deplorably there was nothing done until now to find a
solution for the atmospheric contamination caused by the
smoke of Toquepala; on the contrary: confronted with the
passivity of the central and regional government who play as
accomplices, the rural population is being decimated by
illness and starvation.
The sugar, rice, alfalfa, maize, camote, olive, etc.
plantations are disappearing with extreme incidence from the
valleys of Tambo and Majes. Nevertheless, there has been
made a law to prevent the damages-made and sanction the
responsible people through a High Level Commission. Both
fact sheets about the damages have been brought out and it
has been talked about corrections. It has been allowed that
within 6 months Sauther could be ordered to come up with a
solution for the elimination of the toxic effects caused by
the melting of metal in Ilo, better known as "Smoke of
Toquepala".
Mme. Chair, nothing has been fulfilled, because those
who are part of the High Level Commission are financed by
Sauther. The Ministers of Agriculture and Mining do not
have a higher level of decision. According to the valuation
of November 25 1985, the damages amount was of 3,210,882,500
soles. Today these damages are astronomical.
That law had been made to find countereffect the
toxicity of the Sauther Copper plant. A legal norm, very
clear and specific about taking measures and about deadlines
and actions the responsible people have to accomplish: a
term within 6 months in which Sauther has to eliminate the
toxic smoke, financial sanctions in case of this not being
fulfilled, 12 months for the High Level Commission and Sub-
Commission of Ilo to come to a solution and evaluate the
damages. Nothing of this has been accomplished in more than
25 years.
According to the law mentioned before and the Minitery
Resolution Nr. 320-85-K from December 6, 1985, Sauther had
to pay compensations for 3,210,000 millions of nominal gold
soles until 1984. This valuation, for example, includes only
an agricultural campaign in the Ilo Valley.
The melting plant is working for more than 30 years
now, and has been expelling toxic acids of generic
contamination. The valuation of the damages in 1984 is of
more than 230 million US dollars, not counting the damages
caused by the second washing of ore in the river of Locumba
and the water of Ito Bay in Tacna.
The High Level Commission and Sub-Commission did not
come to a solution until today. The law was useless and the
article nr. 119 of the Law 611 about environmental and
natural resources protection has not been applied against
Sauther.
Mme. Chair, this is a living reality in which the
Puquina and Collagua People are victims of abandonment,
indifference and aggression against their environment which
means a blazing violation of the Human Rights.
Thank you, Mmme. Chairperson.
Geneva, 28th of July 1992
Dr. Fortunato
TURPO CHOQUEHUANCA
LEGAL COMISION OF THE INTEGRATION
PEOPLES TAWANTINSUYANA
COJPITA
COMISION JURIDICA DE LOS PUEBLOS
DE INTGRACION TAWANTINSUYANA:
Apartado 230 Arequipa - Peru.
Tel. 238383
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