On 21 May 2012, agricultural leadership in Espinar Province announced a
strike against the planned expansion of Tintaya mine, a copper mine owned by
the Swiss corporation Xstrata. The leaders' demands included higher
environmental standards, more money for area development, and independent
oversight of the mine. Strikers occupied the roads to the mine over the
following week, blocking all access. In response, President Ollanta Humala
declared a state of emergency in the province, suspending constitutional rights,
and deployed police commandos against the strikers. Two civilians were killed
in the resulting clashes,
