“Long ago the Spaniards used weapons to kill our ancestors
and they took our stuffs.
Now they only need to contaminate us and take our stuffs
from under our noses.”
Julia Carrasco, farmer, Choropampa
“Yanacocha, Newmont and Buenaventura did not horse
around ducking behind legal niceties.
We right away put people in the field. We right away spent
money to correct that circumstance.”
Wayne Murdy, CEO Newmont Mining Corporation
“This is a settlement agreement with the mine. It says
Yanacocha does not recognize responsibility (for the
mercury spill). All the forms are the same. Don’t let them
trick you.”
Lot Saavedra, mayor, Choropampa
“ ‘Look dear,’ he told me, ‘if you make trouble and get a
lawyer, we’ll get a hundred lawyers.
So you should accept our offer. If you don’t, it’s your
problem.’ Like they wanted to threaten me. ”