Alem Torre Garcés
Alem Torre Garcés is a Quechua-speaking human rights defender from the community of Occaccahua, Apurímac.
In 2015, during the protests facing the impact of the activities of the Las Bambas mining company, he supported social organisations and communities in their observations on the Environmental Impact Modification, studying and reporting on the possible impacts of the mining activity in Cotabambas regarding contamination and impacts on the communities.
Due to his active participation defending the rights of his community, he was subjected to persecution and criminalisation, and was unjustly sentenced to nine years in prison. The Court also ordered him, along with a group of other criminalised defenders, to pay a civil reparation fine which collectively amounted to 50,000 Peruvian sol for the State and 88,600 U.S. dollars for the Las Bambas mining company.
While many human rights defenders (HRDs) can operate freely in Peru, those working on the environment, in particular on the environmental and human rights impact of the extractive industry, face harsh repression, including intimidation, smear campaigns, death threats, surveillance, and judicial harassment. Journalists and trade unionists have also been targeted.
