Many residents in the southeastern Peruvian district of Espinar, like Yenny Kana Magaño have been hard hit by the economic impact of COVID-19, having lost their informal jobs when hard lockdown measures were imposed. But living next to Glencore’s Antapaccay copper mine adds to challenges they face. A recent study by Amnesty International found that most people living in its proximity have been contaminated by heavy metals. Glencore denies any link between their mining activities and high levels of heavy metals in water.
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Paula Dupraz-Dobias is an award-winning Geneva-based journalist covering environment, business, international organizations, humanitarian crises and Latin America.
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