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Piura: Mayor has informal mining plant in the courtyard of his house
Agustin Jara Castillo refused to engage in artisanal mining, however it will be investigated by environmental Attorney
Saturday, November 05, 2011
The visit of a group of Piura Regional Government officials in the District of Sapillica ended with the discovery of an informal treatment plant of minerals in the House of the Mayor of that jurisdiction, Agustín Jara Castle. Until then, there were only suspicions of the linkage of Jara castle with illegal artisanal mining activity in the area.
Sapillica is a district located five hours from the city of Piura. One of the places, like yours and Paymas (in the Ayabaca province), is where gold is extracted informally. It is estimated that in all these areas there are more than 10 thousand illegal miners who refuse to work within the law.
Since the middle of this year, the Regional Office of energy and mines of Piura meets Sapillica gold pump. However, in the last Assembly which was held on 2 October, the regional authorities were surprised with the defiant attitude of the Mayor. This rebuked them in a forceful tone: "If they do not bring solutions, better go". So remember it Manager of natural resources of the Regional Government of Piura, Andrés Vera Córdova.
Such behaviour in favour of mining in Sapillica, where - according to the Supreme Decree 027-2007AG, is banned such activity - led regional officials to start an investigation into the Mayor. Suspicions were shape as they conversed with neighbors and friends of the burgomaster.
Representatives of the Regional Directorate of energy and mines became to meet on Thursday 20 informal miners of Sapillica. However, what surprised most authorities was the unexpected arrival of Jara Castillo, who had not been invited to chat. "He came and told the mining engineer Luis Castillo Córdova [head of Civil Defense of Sapillica] to view the subject of the 'benefits' [miners] and to keep it within." "Then withdrew", it was a source of this regional unit.
Finished the meeting, the visitors petitioned the head of the agrarian Office, Norman Sánchez Castillo, take them to meet the municipal nursery. Once in the area, and finished the tour, he asked to go to the House of the Mayor.
Housing is located eight minutes on foot from the commune, on top of a hill. When the inspectors arrived, they found in the courtyard of the House three men (one of them underage) cleaning quimbaletes (huge stones to grind the material contains grains of gold). A few meters had a swimming pool where diverged, with mercury, the gold from the rock. On the side there were mining tailings.
It was, therefore, illegal artisanal mining plant. "It is quite likely that the Mayor not only workers processed material, but that also extract it of the upper parts of Sapillica", he said.
INFORMAL AS THE REST
The Regional Directorate of energy and mines reported that, according to his register of concessions, Jara Castle does not have any mining claim. Therefore, it's one informal mining again, as the thousands that exist in the sierra de Piura. "This Mayor is not dealer, is a miner as the rest arrives and exploits others concessions." "We have checked, we have done data crossing and it has no concessions," said a spokesman for the Office.
Vera Córdova, the attitude of the burgomaster is unethical and should be punished. "He must respond to justice and to their own population if it is carrying out this activity." "We will achieve all information to the Prosecutor's Office so this act as it should", he said.
JARA DENIES
Jara Castillo argued that he had never had devoted to artisanal mining, but their children. "These are speculations that have no basis, and if they did I don't why regret because artisanal mining is an activity with which one seeks to life." These quimbaletes [from his home] are my children, who previously bought material from an area called lagoons. "But that four years ago," explained.
The burgomaster added that now sowing products in their agricultural land. "I have as twenty hectares growing." In my house not are already working, there are the stones since the end of mining equipment in lagoons. Before everyone was working on artisanal mining because there were not people that got darnel. "But as became the Prosecutor there already stopped it," said Jara Castle.
IT WILL BE INVESTIGATED
Before the accusations, the Prosecutor of the environment of Piura, Silvia Rumiche, stated that this case will be investigated properly. "Not only have to verify if it is informal mining, but that this activity will be clean." "If we determine the pollution, will the judiciary to determine their responsibility", said.
Rumiche pointed out that the fact that this is a mayor does not constitute an aggravating factor in the investigation. "There are no aggravating circumstances to be servant;" Yes they are, instead, which has hampered the audit activities of the administrative authorities or acted illegally in its activity. "These Yes are aggravating".
ALSO THE MAYOR OF LAS LOMAS?
The burgomaster of the District of Las Lomas, Milton Neyra Símbala, is also devoted to the informal artisanal mining. According to the settlers, their workers drawn mining material from several tunnels located in the Pampa larga sector in Suyo.
"The Mayor has his veins, before we sold, but now works with a partner called Victor Condor, Las Lomas." "Now sells the material to the acopiadora trust, also in this district," told the representative of the acopiadora Laytaruma, Erasmo Montero.
Neyra Símbala denies these allegations. At the beginning of the conversation with this newspaper said: "That they say makes no sense." It is part of the opposition I have. "Here there is talk of responsible mining, transport, labour, being generated for the benefit of the people".
The burgomaster added: "Víctor Condor is my friend, I know him for a long time and if they have evidence, investigate it to him." I have many friends working in the municipality, and who have worked in mining, but that no longer work. "I am a friend of a lot of people".
