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As mining company Newmont met with shareholders and investors, communities in Peru, near its proposed Conga gold and copper mine, continue to defend water and human rights. Peruvian organization Grufides, which supports those communities, has challenged the company in courts for more than a decade over concerns regarding the environmental and human rights impacts of the Conga mine.
On April 30th, 2025, Newmont held its Annual General Meeting for shareholders. These spaces are only open to shareholders and investors, leaving out the communities most impacted by the projects being discussed. This year Grufides had questions and concerns for Newmont regarding the impacts of its proposed Conga mine.
Newmont became the sole owner of the Conga mine in 2012 after buying out the shares of its two partners. It initially started exploration and construction for the mine despite community opposition. Communities have made it clear over the years that they are concerned about the potential for water contamination at the headwaters of five rivers, which would endanger their water supply.
In 2012, Grufides presented a legal petition to the Ministry of Energy and Mines in Peru claiming the Conga mine threatened the right to a balanced environment enshrined in the Peruvian Constitution. Newmont appealed the Grufides lawsuit unsuccessfully for years.
The Conga mine has long caused protests and unrest in the area, as community members mobilize to protect their land and water. The case of Maxima Acuña de Chaupe in particular garnered international attention as she reported harassment and violence against her family and battled in the courts in Peru and the US for her right to her own land.
Finally, in August 2024, twelve years after Grufides filed its lawsuit, the Second Civil Court of Cajamarca issued a decision. It ruled that the Conga mine would cause irremediable environmental damage and ordered Yanacocha, Newmont’s Peruvian subsidiary, to cease all operations at the mine.
Newmont filed an appeal, and the case was transferred to a different Civil Court in Cajamarca. On April 30, 2025, the Civil Court made its decision, nullifying the first judgment and ordering the original judge to issue a new pronouncement. According to the appeals court, there was a lack of sufficient motivation in its judgment and an alleged lack of assessment of all the evidence presented.
Grufides lawyers expressed surprise and frustration at the decision. In a statement they said, “It’s worth mentioning that this marks 13 years without access to justice for a case that is fundamental to the defense of the right to water, and the protection of a complex ecosystem of lagoons that support life in three valleys: Celendín, Bambamarca and Cajamarca. All this despite the fact that in an expert hearing, the mining company’s own experts recognized that the controversial project would produce impacts to the environment and water sources in perpetuity.”
Given this ruling, and to mark this year’s AGM, Grufides submitted a letter to Newmont posing five questions about legal and environmental concerns with its Peruvian operations. They requested a response from the company, but did not receive one.
Grufides and Earthworks will continue to stand with communities and environmental defenders who oppose the Conga mine and seek to hold Newmont accountable for the impacts of its operations.
