The bodies of 13 security guards at a major Peruvian gold mine were found on May 4, a week after the men were abducted from the site. Poderosa, the Peruvian company that owns and operates the mine in the northern province of Pataz [10], La Libertad region, confirmed the deaths after a police search-and-rescue unit recovered their bodies. Poderosa said the guards "were cruelly murdered by criminals allied with illegal mining." (FT [11])
In response, President Dina Boluarte has instated a curfew in Pataz province, and announced that the armed forces will take full control of the area around the Poderosa mining concession. A new military base will be also established in the area. Boluarte additionally said that she will ask Congress for extraordinary powers to crack down on criminal networks, and have their activities defined as "terrorism." (Andina [12])
