January 21, 20238:59 AM GMT+11
Glencore's major Peru copper mine attacked again as fire breaks out
LIMA, Jan 20 (Reuters) - Glencore's(GLEN.L)massive Antapaccay copper mine in Peru faced its latest disruption on Friday, as a fire spread through a nearby worker housing area which is believed to have been started by protesters, a source familiar with the matter told Reuters.
Video footage published by the company on its Facebook page shows people putting flammable material near one of the mine's fences.
The attack comes as growing political and social unrest grips Peru, following weeks of angry and sometimes violent anti-government protests triggered by the ouster of the country's president last month.
Peru, the world's second-largest copper producer, has seen growing disruptions to its key extractive industry due in large part to road blockades impeding transportation.
Glencore's mine, of the country's largest, was operating at a"restricted" capacity earlier this week due to protests.
Since Jan. 4, the Antapaccay mine has been unable to transport needed supplies to its facility due to blockades, according to a company statement released late Thursday, which noted that only 38% of its workforce was on the job.
The statement added that transport of mineral concentrates remains temporarily suspended.
Glencore did not immediately respond to a request for comment on Friday.
The mine was also violently attacked on Jan. 12 and 13 by what it described as the infiltration of otherwise peaceful protests, in which another building was set ablaze while at least one worker remained inside.
Company installations suffered heavy damage, including a water pumping station that supplies local communities, in addition to four vehicles torched, according to the Thursday statement.
