Tambogrande

Tambogrande is a small town in the Piura Province of the San Lorenzo Region in northwestern Peru. One of many small towns chosen as a site for mining development during Peru's mining boom in 1999, Tambogrande achieved prominence for successfully opposing the Manhattan Minerals mining development in the area. Compared to other regions, San Lorenzo has some significant advantages over its neighbors, including access to water and its location near the port of Paita. The city's main industry is the production of lemons and mangoes on the fertile land that surrounds the town, producing almost 40% of lemons in Peru and employing 65% of the population in its agricultural industry. Within the region, 70,000 inhabitants occupy it, and 16,000 inhabitants live in the town. Although there is no data that reports the poverty rate in Tambogrande, it is reported that in cities along the rural coastal area of Peru— such as Tambogrande—64% of inhabitants live on less than a dollar a day.

In 1996, Manhattan Minerals, a Canadian mining company, bought the mineral rights below the town and had found a large copper and gold deposit, from which Manhattan Minerals sought to "extract US$1 billion worth of minerals". Upon this discovery, the Canadian mining company made a formal proposal to the Peruvian government, which would require the displacement of thousands and involve some harmful environmental risks to the town. The Peruvian government agreed to the proposal to mine the 10,000 hectares of land in Tambogrande for four years.

Despite the promise of jobs and improved infrastructure, the population balked at the proposal. The community did not want to see the town replaced with a kilometer-wide pit because they were concerned that the mining operation could generate enough pollution to destroy the region's agriculture and limited water supply.

An unprecedented protest resulted, led by local leaders of the town and the local Roman Catholic Church as well as international NGOs. In 2002, in a referendum, organized by the NGOs, on the fate of the mining project—"No" or "yes"—1.28% of the population voted in favor of it. The government would acknowledge the legitimacy of the project and called for Manhattan Minerals to end all operations.

"En San Lorenzo somos agricultores. (Con la minería) podríamos ver cómo todo sería destruido para siempre: el suelo, el agua, la cosecha." This farmer from Tambogrande says that in San Lorenzo, they are all farmers; with mining, it could bring great destruction to the soil, the ground, our water, and the harvest. He acutely captures the residents’ sentiments toward the proposed mining project. Agriculture not only was their main source of revenue, but it also represented their way of life, their culture, and their identity as people of Tambogrande. A mining project would force them to leave in parts of the region, leaving a place they knew as a home for so many decades.

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