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Making the news People haven't forgotten us MUL May 18, 2015 12:27 PM ET
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May 18, 2015 11:03:00 (ET) By Robert Kozak LIMA, Peru--President Ollanta Humala's approval rating in May fell to the lowest level of his almost four years in power, tumbling to 21% as the government flounders in its response to violent protests against a mine project in southern Peru, pollster Ipsos said. The inability of the government to control the conflict over the proposed copper mine known as Tia Maria led to a sharp six-percentage-point decline in Mr. Humala's popularity from last month. "Basically the decline is tied to the Tia Maria issue and the belief that the president hasn't been able to show clear leadership. He is paying the price for what has happened," Ipsos polling chief Guillermo Loli said Monday. On Friday, Southern Copper Corp, owner of the Tia Maria copper project, said it would suspend work for 60 days to allow time for a deal to be reached with protesters who oppose any mine in the Tambo Valley in Arequipa state of southern Peru. Protesters worry a large copper mine will contaminate water supplies in the valley, which is heavily dependent on farming. In full-page newspaper advertisements Monday, Southern Copper's majority owner, Grupo Mexico, defended the mine project, saying it would invest $95 million to desalinate water from the Pacific Ocean for the mine, ensuring water supplies for farming. Mr. Humala ran for president in 2011 in part on a platform of opposing the Tia Maria project, but once in office he switched positions. His government has sent in thousands of police officers and soldiers to keep open roads and bridges once blocked by protesters, saying the government can't legally suspend the project, after last year approving the company's environmental plan. Two protesters and one police officer have died in recent clashes. University of Delaware political scientist Julio Carrion said that Mr. Humala has disappointed those who favor the project by failing to control the violence and restore the authority of the state. Those who oppose a mine lament that he has flip-flopped on the issue. "Either way, his popularity suffers. Unfortunately, this has been pretty much the dynamic of his administration these past years, disappointing his supporters but failing to persuade his opponents. Mr. Humala has lost all political initiative and his administration seems rudderless," Mr. Carrion said. Mr. Humala can't run in the 2016 vote due to a ban on holding consecutive terms as president but he can run in later elections. His "Peru Wins" party plans to run candidates in the elections for Congress next year. The Ipsos poll shows 46% of Peruvians favor the Tia Maria project, while 40% believe that the government is responsible for the violence in the protests. Mr. Humala's popularity rating soared to 65% soon after he took office in July 2011 for a five-year term, but since then has weakened steadily, in part due to the perception that crime is rising in Peru. The Ipsos poll, taken from May 12 to May 15 of 1,208 persons, has a margin of error of 2.8 percentage points. Write to Robert Kozak at robert.kozak@wsj.com Access Investor Kit for Grupo México S.A.B. de C.V. |
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