Peruvian authorities are working on a plan to keep the military on mineral roads to avoid disruption to some copper ore shipments. "We have a plan to keep the armed forces working closely together," Energy and Mines Minister Oscar Vera said in an interview last Tuesday.
The highway, known as the mining corridor, is used by MMG's Las Bambas, Glencore's Antapaccay and Hudbay Minerals' Constancia copper mines to transport semi-finished copper to a seaport.
The road has been blocked several times before, and disruptions in transport could delay shipments to smelters in China and elsewhere. Vera said the military would remain along the road to work with the community on infrastructure projects. For now, a state of emergency allows for a military presence, though that will soon expire.
