LIMA, April 11 (Reuters) -
A road blockade on a key Peruvian transport route is halting truck traffic but has not yet hit operations at the Andean country's major Las Bambas copper mine, a source close to the miner told Reuters on Thursday.
The mine, owned by China's MMG Ltd, faces a fresh protest by local communities demanding greater benefits from the copper mine, a major producer in a country that ranks among the world's top suppliers of the red metal.
Residents of Velille, in Cusco's Chumbivilcas province, have resumed a blockade that began over a week ago after a meeting with company representatives failed to provide a solution.
"There is still no impact on production operations, but if the blockade persists for a long time the situation could change," the source said, adding the protest has paralyzed the flow of trucks carrying minerals through the country's so-called "mining corridor" to the coast for export.
"An alternate route is being used for the supply of inputs for the mine operation," the source said.
Las Bambas offered the Velille community a voluntary sum of 1.15 million soles ($312,925) for 2024/25, plus technical assistance for development projects, but the community is calling for an annual sum of 2 million soles, the source said.
The source said two other communities, one in Cusco and another in the Aprurimac region, have accepted the offer.
Las Bambas has faced frequent stoppages due to protests by poor communities demanding more benefits from the nearby mines. Since launching operations in 2016, the mine counts around 600 days of stoppages.
Last year, the mine nevertheless produced 302,039 metric tons of copper, up from 254,838 tons in 2022, according to government data. It typically supplies around 2% of global copper supplies and is one of the top producers in Peru.
($1 = 3.6750 soles) (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Sarah Morland; Editing by Valentine Hilaire and David Gregorio)
