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TENSIONS have risen in Peru after the jailing of three lawyers for the indigenous Quechua people for protesting against a mine development project in the south of the country.
The trio had been representing the community in an increasingly hostile battle against Chinese mining company MMG Ltd, which has seen a state of emergency declared in Challhuahuacho district.
Public gatherings have been banned with government forces set to forcibly remove roadblocks established to prevent construction vehicles moving in on the indigenous community.
Community leaders have warned that they will not enter negotiations until the lawyers are freed. However their demands have been refused by prosecutor Jorge Chavez Cortina, who said “they can ask for whatever they want, but we have to act according to the law.”
Carlos Vargas and brothers Jorge and Frank Chavez were jailed after a trial in Cusco in which they were accused of encouraging the indigenous community to establish the roadblocks to halt MMG’s operations at the Las Bambas mine.
Indigenous leader Edison Vargas explained the roadblocks would remain and that the protesters planned to “keep up the struggle for 36 months.”