ABSTRACT
The residents of San Cristobal had come to expect that construction of the mine would start as soon as the community had moved to the new village and jobs would be available. Men from the community marched against the company over the treatment of local people by the contractors hired to supervise aspects of the construction programme. The relocation committees functioned very well, according to reports from both the company and community. Based on the inventories and surveys, it was agreed that 140 new houses would be built to accommodate the families eligible for resettlement, plus communal buildings such as schools, a hospital, an administration building, and necessary infrastructure. The company was trying to raise financing for mine construction in a poor market while finalising a full feasibility study and waiting for approvals from the national government after submitting a comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment.
