The Chinese-owned mining company has a history of constant disruptions due to protests by neighboring communities demanding more benefits from the exploitation of resources. It has had to stop operations for around six hundred days since operations began.

The Las Bambas copper mining company, controlled by MMG Ltd (China), faces blockages on a key concentrate transportation route in Peru after a dialogue with Andean residents about social contributions failed, a community leader said this Wednesday.

Residents of the Velille district, in the Chumbivilcas province of Cusco, had granted a truce on Tuesday to meet with company representatives and government officials amid the protests that began a week ago with the blockade of the so-called Andean "mining corridor".

Operating since 2016, Las Bambas normally supplies 2% of global copper. It is key to Peru's position as one of the world's largest producers of the metal.

"An agreement was not reached at the meeting and we decided to resume the blockade of the corridor," said the president of the Velille Defense Front, Robertson Pacheco. "There is no passing for mining vehicles on the road," he stated.

Pacheco stated that Las Bambas is only accepting half of the proposed contribution amount (2 million soles annually, which is equivalent to about US$535,000) for social development programs in the area in 2024-2025.

Las Bambas representatives were not immediately available for comment. In previous blockades the company has used an alternate, longer road to transport concentrates to the coast for export.

Las Bambas has a history of constant stoppages due to protests by poor communities demanding more benefits from resource exploitation. Since it began operating, it has had to stop its work for around 600 days.

The mining company produced 302,039 tons of copper last year, compared to 254,838 tons in 2022, according to data from the Ministry of Energy and Mines.