On roadsides in northern Peru’s Piura region, crisply painted signs proclaim that Río Blanco, a copper-mining project planned by the company Minera Majaz, will bring health, development and “real revenue” to the area. “To export copper is to truly safeguard our resources,” one proclaims, while another announces, “You win, Piura wins.” But in some communities in this highland region, houses sport black-on-green posters with a different message: “Majaz, don’t lie.” The dueling appeals underscore Río Blanco’s status as the latest flashpoint in the battle over large-scale mining in Peru. Majaz proposes to create a US$1.44 billion open-pit copper mine that would rank among the 20 largest copper mines in the world. Opponents worry mining in Andean cloud forests here... [Log in to read more]