We are pleased to announce that Luis Acevedo, the President of the Trade Association of Farmers and Livestock Farmers from El Melon in Chile, is visiting London to present the Association’s demands regarding the impacts caused by Anglo American plc. in their territories. His visit provides an opportunity for us to listen, discuss, advocate, and mobilise in support of people affected by Anglo American mining projects in Latin America and around the world.

We encourage you to stand in solidarity with Luis during his visit to London. London Mining Network, the Peru Support Group, and other UK-based organisations will support a series of activities to raise our voices and expose Anglo American's actions. Luis will be sharing his experience of living near the Anglo American copper mine El Soldado and El Torito tailing dams in El Melon at a public event on 29 April in conversation with Bonnie VandeSteeg from the People's Land Policy.

To learn more about Anglo American's impact in Latin America, review the latest London Mining Network report, “Should do better”: Anglo American´s mining operations and affected communities in Latin America.

Anglo American is one of the world's largest companies, headquartered in London, UK. Founded in 1918 in South Africa, the company moved its offices to London in 1999. Its operations are primarily in South Africa, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Canada, and Australia. Its global production includes a diversity of resources, from copper, iron, nickel, and manganese to coal and diamonds. It is also the largest producer of platinum in the world.

Over the years, the mining giant has been involved in various socio-environmental conflicts in the territories where it operates. Communities and indigenous peoples, along with ecosystems, have been facing the costs of intensive extraction by Anglo American. Some of these conflicts are directly related to the Cerrejon coal mine in Colombia, the copper mine it owns in Quellaveco in Peru, El Soldado and Los Bronces in Chile, and the Minas Rio iron ore mine in Brazil.

Meet Luis Acevedo

Luis Acevedo is the president of the trade association of farmers and livestock farmers from El Melon. Luis is a mechanical engineer and avocado farmer. The association was created in 2014, and it seeks to protect and help associates develop their agricultural and livestock activities while conserving their natural environment and their individual and community livelihoods. The association has around 200 members.

Like many of the defenders of the territory we invited to London, Luis finds himself compelled to defend his livelihood and the territory due to the pressure from the multinational giant Anglo American.