Hidalgo Mining International

Peru anti-mining protesters killed in clashes

LIMA — Peru suspended a Canadian company's mining project in the south of the country on Saturday, following intense negotiations in the wake of deadly protests by mostly indigenous anti-mining activists, authorities said.

The government enacted five laws including the revocation of a concession granted to Bear Creek Mining Corporation, which has been a focus of weeks of protests, including an attempt by hundreds of demonstrators Friday to storm an airport in the south of the country.

The president's chief of staff and Peru's Justice Minister Rosario Fernandez said the new laws, published in the official gazette El Peruano and which include a 36-month halt to all new mining concessions in Puno province, are aimed at satisfying the demands of locals opposed to mining activity in the region, state news agency Andina said.

At least five activists were killed when riot police fired tear gas and live ammunition to keep protesters from taking over the airport in the southern city of Juliaca, in Puno.

The violence comes in the final weeks of the presidency of Alan Garcia, who hands power to leftist president-elect Ollanta Humala on July 28. Garcia is leaving so many unsolved social problems that Humala recently pleaded with him to address the most pressing issues and "not give us a mine field."

Business leaders criticized the move, with Alfonso Garcia Miro, president of Peru's Foreign Commerce Society -- Comex Peru -- saying the the new laws were "a bad sign for investors."

"We've had a bad political time (recently) and the worst thing we can do is to give a sign that Peru is against investment," he said."

Others commentators slammed the Lima government for buckling, and warned of the precedent it set.

"The government should not yield to this pressure" from protesters, insisted former interior minister Fernando Rospigliosi, in comments to the Peru21 newspaper.

"Surely other departments (provinces) will follow suit, and Peru will be without mining," he added.

The province of Puno has been in the grips of a wave of protests against mining projects in the region, led primarily by indigenous Aymara people, the majority ethnic group in this part of the country.

Activists have demanded an end to mining activity and oil drilling in Puno, one of Peru's poorest areas, insisting the operations pollute the land and waterways, leave few local benefits, and that the concessions were granted without consulting local interests.

Hidalgo Mining International HMIT Addresses Shareholders and Its ...

NEW YORK, NY, Mar 23, 2009 (MARKET WIRE via COMTEX) ----Hidalgo Mining International (http://www.hidalgominingint.com/) (PINKSHEETS: HMIT: undefined, undefined, undefined%), an innovative mining company headquartered in Port Washington, N.Y., announced today to shareholders its new production plan in Ghana, West Africa.

Mark Daniel Klok, President of HMIT, stated, "Due to the recent coup and instability in Guinea, management has implemented an alternative production plan to protect its shareholders from further political risk, an unstable environment and any unnecessary risk arising from the Fifa project."

Management was able to quickly maneuver and successfully complete its joint venture agreement with Castle Peak Mining Ltd. to begin production on its gold project located in Ghana, West Africa. Fortunately the Company had previously invested its capital into a fleet of equipment which could be easily transported, saving the Company a significant amount of time and money.

The Ghana Project has substantially better infrastructure, paved roads, a skilled local labor force, nearby water access, mining service companies in close proximity, 24 hour electricity and a stable English-speaking government. In light of this new venture, we have made plans to ship all of our equipment from the Fifa Project to Ghana. Once the move has started, it should take only approximately 5 to 6 days for our personnel to drive the cargo across country to the production location. The new Ghana mining plan which is currently being formulated by the Company's Engineer and Geologist, Mr. Lee R. Rice, is expected to be completed within the next 14 days. This mining plan will set the Company in motion and allow production to commence almost immediately after funding is closed and setup is completed.

The Company's Guinea strategy has now shifted from production to additional exploration. A more detailed and intensive exploration program from pitting, trenching to drilling will continue until such time that the new government settles in, the minister signs off on the pending Fifa mining license, and the overall resource of the project is expanded.

When asked about the decision to shift the Company's efforts to Ghana, Mr.

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