Oscar Mollohuanca
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Oscar Mollohuanca | |
|---|---|
| mayor of Espinar Province | |
| Personal details | |
| Known for | 2012 arrest |
Oscar Mollohuanca was the mayor of the Espinar Province of Peru. On 30 May 2012, he was arrested by the national government and accused of inciting protests against an expansion of a copper mine owned by Xstrata.[1] He was conditionally released on 13 July.[2] On March 7, 2022, he was found dead near his house, the circumstances of his death lead to the assumption that he was murdered.
On 21 May 2012, agricultural leadership in Espinar Province announced a strike against the planned expansion of Tintaya mine, a copper mine owned by the Swiss corporation Xstrata (now merged with Glencore). The leaders' demands included higher environmental standards, more money for area development, and independent oversight of the mine.[2] The Los Angeles Times described Mollohuanca as "one of the principal leaders" of the strike.[3]
Strikers occupied the roads to the mine over the following week, blocking all access. In response, President Ollanta Humala declared a state of emergency in the province, suspending constitutional rights,[3] and deployed police commandos against the strikers.[2] Two civilians were killed in the resulting clashes, and 70 police officers were injured.[3]