The Andes

Peru: new mobilization against Conga project

Campesinos in Peru’s northern Cajamarca region began the year with a renewed campaign against the pending Conga mining project, pledging to occupy the concession area.

The Andes

DEA back to Venezuela?

In the first sign of a thaw in relations between the US and Venezuela, Caracas is weighing a request from Washington to allow a return of DEA officials to the South American country.

The Andes

Colombia: ELN abducts gold prospectors

Guerillas of Colombia’s National Liberation Army (ELN) abducted five gold prospectors working for a Canadian company on an exploratory mission in Bolívar department.

The Andes

Colombia: FARC ends unilateral ceasefire

Colombia’s FARC rebels announced the immediate end of a two-month unilateral ceasefire and renewed its call for a bilateral truce to hold peace talks with the government.

The Andes

Bolivia wins coca-chewing victory at UN

Bolivia was re-admitted to the UN Single Convention on Narcotic Drugs —with a special dispensation recognizing traditional use of coca leaf as legal within its borders.

The Andes

Peru: Conga project to advance in 2013?

Peru’s Minister of Mines Jorge Merino assured investors that his government will make every effort to see the controversial Conga gold mining project move forward in 2013.

The Andes

Peru: protest over mine’s water diversion

Thousands of campesinos filled the streets of Chiclayo in northern Peru to protest La Zanja mining company’s plan to dump waste water in high Andean canyons.

The Andes

Bolivia: progress seen in coca policy

Total area planted with coca in Bolivia dropped by up to 13% last year, as both eradication efforts and the areas where coca can be legally cultivated were expanded.

The Andes

Bolivia: prison corruption scandal widens

A Brooklyn businessman was freed from prison in Bolivia on money-laundering charges after he accused authorities of extorting him and illegally seizing his goods.

The Andes

Ecuador: urban guerilla suspects freed

Ten men arrested on “terrorism” and “subversion” charges in Quito were freed after a prison hunger strike. Three women in the group remain behind bars, refusing food.

The Andes

Ecuador: pipeline protests in Guayaquil

Residents and officials in Ecuador’s port Guayaquil are protesting a planned gas pipeline that would run through densely populated areas, charging inadequate safety studies.