Overview

• At the PERUMIN 37 Water Forum in Arequipa, Agriculture Minister Ángel Manero said water should go to mining over agriculture during scarcity because mining generates immediate fiscal revenue.
• He described the stance as a shift in his ministry’s approach to back mining projects that could later finance irrigation and storage, while clarifying that human consumption would still take precedence over mining.
• Congressman Alejandro Cavero called the position mistaken and announced that Congress will exercise political oversight.
• Arequipa’s governor Rohel Sánchez invoked the Water Law hierarchy, noting priority for people, then animals, then agriculture, with extractive activity last.
• Industry voices diverged: Buenaventura’s Roque Benavides supported advancing projects under a “hermandad del agua” approach, while ComexPerú and AGAP pressed for balanced water management and the unblocking of major irrigation projects.