Overview
- Three men were killed and two people were detained after a Dec. 31 gunfight inside the Papagayo bocamina in Pataz, La Libertad.
- The deceased were identified as Pilar Eduardo Acosta Vera, 35; Marcelino Ramos Contreras, 31; and Teodulio Ramos Llaury, 33, all from San Mateo in Sartimbamba.
- According to a Vijus police report, families stopped the transfer of the bodies to the Trujillo morgue, so legally required necropsies were not performed, and the remains were taken to San Mateo for burial.
- Relatives say the victims were ambushed, showed signs of beating, and were unarmed, while mining company Poderosa asserts they had entered illegally to steal ore, leading to a confrontation.
- The clash has intensified a political dispute as the ANGR faults the national government’s strategy against illegal mining, the prime minister rejects that claim and points to regional responsibility, and he says the Army has taken control of the area.