PERU: THE SOCIAL CONFLICTS THAT WILL FACE THE NEW GOVERNMENT IN 2011-2016

By:
Mg.Sc. Faustino Beraún Barrantes
Lawyer and Economist

In Peru, the social conflicts are increasing because the actual government doesn´t make a firm effort for resolving these issues in order to give to Ollanta Humala a pacific government, in July 28, 2011.

These social conflicts had been developing for many years surrounding mining´s concessions in Peru. In the last days, the most important social conflicts were: First, Ramis river´s basin, in which informal mining´s activities are contaminating with a toxic waste. In this case, the peasant communities are demanding to clean this basin. Second, Santa Ana Mining´s concession was done against the desires of aymara peasant communities. They say the concession is affecting the habitats and the ecosystem of Puno and government must derogate the law that had permitted to increase this issue.

The Ombudsman´s last report says that there are 227 social conflicts, 63% are developing and 117 had begun for environment issues. The people don´t want the mining´s concessions because they affect their lives, habitats and natural ecosystem.

Furthermore, there are social conflicts in Bagua (Amazonas), Doe Run (Oroya-Junin), Majes Siguas II (Arequipa y Cusco), Inambari Hidrolectric Proyect (Puno, Cusco y Madre de Dios), Tía María (Arequipa), Buenventura mining (Oyón), etc.

Other social conflicts are related with terrorism and illegal traffic of drugs in VRAE – The Valley of Apurimac and Ene rivers-, in which criminal organizations have free zones and the estate doesn´t have power to control the production of coca´s leaves and terrorist´s activities.

In addition, there are other threats in Peru as cyber-terrorism, criminal organizations, public corruption, sexual children´s abuse, prostitution, slavery of women and children, drug and alcohol abuse, white collar crimes, pandemics, natural disasters, illicit trafficking and transnational crime, national and international terrorism, climate change, etc.

In these cases, information is vital for the actual and the future government. We´re at information age and intelligence is very important for securing national, regional and local governments. Interagency or inter-institution coordination is the cornerstone for improving information and intelligence against all kind of crime or violence.

The Ministry of Interior, Ministry of Defense, Ministry of Justice, and others public institutions could promote policies for inter-institution or interagency coordination and must incorporate families, individuals and non-governmental organizations as strategy to face all kind of violence or crime.

Inter-institutions or interagency coordination is a good strategy in order to strengthen public and private security for combating all kind of crimes or violence like international terrorism, illicit trafficking, transnational crime, etc.

In the case of social conflicts, the dialog between government and people is a good strategy for managing these conflicts because they can conciliate mutual demands.

CONCLUSION:

Interagency or inter-institution coordination is the cornerstone for improving information and intelligence against all kind of conflicts. Especially, in the case, of violent conflicts like illicit trafficking of drugs, international terrorism, slavery of women and children, etc.

The new government must face social conflicts with an effective plan and strategy to built capacities and create solutions with dialog between government and people.

In other words, social conflicts must manage with effective economic and social policies of inclusion. Government must create a coordination office that can be in charge of these kind of conflicts.