Anti-mining protest escalates in southern Peru

(Reuters) - Hundreds of demonstrators mobbed government buildings and burned police cars in southeastern Peru on Thursday as a protest against mining firms intensified 10 days before a presidential election.

Some 5,000 protesters have descended on the city of Puno over the past two weeks to demand concessions be revoked for mining companies they say will contaminate their lands. Roads to neighboring Bolivia are now blocked, paralyzing commerce.

"They've started to loot public and private institutions, banks and shopping centers," police officer William Anda said on local radio.

President Alan Garcia earlier this week authorized the army to help maintain order in Puno, 620 miles south of Lima, but it has yet to use force to end the protests. The government has sent representatives to negotiate with the protesters but an agreement has not been reached.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/27/us-peru-protest-idUSTRE74Q0S420110527

because the Puno department (state) represents about 4 percent (about a half million voters) of the national electorate. It is a voting bastion for Ollanta Humala, the left-wing nationalist who is running against right-winger Keiko Fujimori (daughter of former president Alberto Fujimore who is serving 25 years in prison for crimes against humanity).

If Peruvian polls are to be believed, Humala and Keiko are in a virtual tie with a week to go.

Humala won 62 percent of the Puno region's vote in the first round several weeks ago. Keiko got only 15 percent.

Humala today (Monday) asked outgoing President Alan Garcia for guarantees that voters in the Puno region would be able to cast votes. No response from Garcia, who is backing Keiko Fujimori, as of tonight. But the Reuters article says Garcia's government would postpone negotiations until after June 5, day of the runoff election. That is an ominous sign.

So much more is at stake than just resolving a campesino protest against mining policies in Puno department.

It conceivably could alter the presidential election results and steal victory from Humala, who is considered a leftist nationalist.

I admit to knowing little about the situation, so thanks for the added info.