“Anglo American in Peru: Extractivism, Effects, and Corporate Networks” is a study developed by Peruvian national organizations and international partners that analyzes the environmental, social, and water-related impacts linked to the Quellaveco mining project, operated by Anglo American, one of Peru’s largest copper producers.
The publication, promoted by the Moquegua Agrarian and Environmental Federation (FACAREMOQ), the Muqui Network, Human Rights and Environment (DHUMA), Terra Justa, and London Mining Network (LMN), compiles official information from environmental monitoring, technical documentation, and various other secondary sources.
The research findings challenge the corporate narrative that presents Quellaveco as a “sustainable mine” and “100% digital,” and argue that, despite the incorporation of advanced technology, the project reproduces historical patterns of mining extractivism. This is precisely one of the study’s most relevant findings, as it demonstrates that Quellaveco fully meets the four theoretical conditions of extractivism: massive material removal, high environmental intensity, minimal processing, and an export orientation. An example of its environmental intensity is the amount of material removed, since in 30 years of mining operation, Quellaveco will remove a volume equivalent to all the solid waste generated by Latin America in 9 years. This reflects a large-scale extractivist model, in which enormous volumes of earth and rock are removed to obtain a fraction of exportable concentrate.
Another key aspect of the study is the intensive use of water in a region historically affected by water scarcity. According to the research, Anglo American is authorized to use more than 30 million cubic meters of water per year. The amount of water needed by the Quellaveco mining project is much greater than all the potable water produced by the Moquegua Water and Sanitation Company, the company that supplies water to the city. Furthermore, the research reveals the presence of 14 metals in drinking water, a situation affecting 18 of the 21 districts that make up the Moquegua region. This situation is mirrored in terms of exposure to heavy metals, where it shows that between 2024 and 2025 alone, more than a thousand people (1,049) presented arsenic levels exceeding the reference values established by Peruvian regulations, with children and adolescents being the most exposed group.
The research emphasizes that the Ilo-Moquegua basin already suffers from a structural water deficit, a situation exacerbated by the growth of extractive activities and the effects of climate change. In this context, access to water has become a major concern for farmers, communities, and urban populations.
The study pays particular attention to the diversion of the Asana River. This change could have altered the hydrological and ecological dynamics of the entire Tumilaca River basin, affecting the quality and availability of water that communities need for human consumption, agriculture, and livestock. Consequently, access to clean water—a fundamental right—is increasingly compromised, since the diverted river is part of the water system that feeds the Tumilaca River sub-basin, a source linked to the drinking water supply for the city of Moquegua. The research maintains that alterations to these water sources raise concerns about the future water security of the region.
Executive summary – Anglo American in Peru Extractivism, Effects, and Corporate Networks (May, 2026)
Statement from the Stop ISDS campaign to the government of President Gustavo Petro
