為了捍衛家園森林的完整性，秘魯安地斯山區居民反對露天採礦的長期抗爭行動終於有了初步成果。上（9）月16日，秘魯烏拉省（Piuran）三個社區舉行公民投票，讓居民有機會發出真實的聲音。爭議中的採礦計畫是里約布蘭科（Rio Blanco）採礦計畫，主要進行銅、鉬等金屬的露天堆浸開採；而參加公投的公民，都是居住在礦場附近的居民。
這個議題牽涉到地方政府的權利，以及居民參與公私部門開發計畫的基本人權。
這項民主程序不僅受到皮烏拉省12個市政機關所組成的農業自治區的支持，同時也是秘魯法務部「國家人權議會」認定的合法程序。 由皮烏拉省安地斯7個地區的市政機關所組成的安地斯山脈中央社群（Andean Central Community），同樣無異議地支持基層的民主公投，皮烏拉省人民監察組織（People’s Ombudsman of Piura）也表示支持。
皮烏拉省人民監察組織早前曾譴責一個由Majaz礦業公司主導的破壞生態的探測行動。Majaz公司是英國蒙特利哥（Monterrico）礦業公司的秘魯分公司。
在投票過程中，有保育人士向居民簡介採礦對皮烏拉省最後的雲霧森林和「禿高原」（paramo）所造成的影響。例如安地斯貘組織所支持的賽加拉（Alejandro Zegarra-Pezo）就是其中一名。
這些保育人士過去曾被親礦集團所攻擊，其中包含了中央及地方政府的員工。藉著豐厚的財力後盾，有些政府官員還發動支持礦業的宣傳活動，並同時打壓異議人士，將這些保育人士醜化為共產黨、恐怖份子或是不識字的莽漢。
雖然如此，公民投票仍在9月16日星期天展開。許多農民為了實踐他們的投票權，走上一天的路，甚至更久的時間。
Majaz礦業公司雇用了數百位的人馬，用肢體暴力和言語刺激擾亂投票。塞加拉指出，儘管如此，公民投票的結果仍顯示居民強力反對這個採礦計畫。里約布蘭科礦場所在的社區居民，清楚選擇了要捍衛僅存的重要水源涵養地與野生動植物棲地。三個社區各有約95%的選民投下反對票。
After a prolonged struggle by local inhabitants to preserve the integrity of the Piuran Andes against a mining takeover, on September 16 a popular referendum was organized in the three Piuran communities where Rio Blanco proposes to site an open pit mine. This was an opportunity for local citizens to express their true opinions and desires concerning the heap leach project to mine copper, molybdenum and other metals on a massive scale.
At stake here are the rights of local governments as well as the basic human rights to participate in government and private plans affecting their future.
Associated as the Rural Municipalities of Piura, the mayors of 12 municipalities agreed to support this democratic exercise, which was also legalized by the National Council on Human Rights, a branch of the Ministry of Justice of Peru.
Composed of seven district municipalities in the Piuran Andes, the Andean Central Community also decisively supported this grassroots democratic referendum as did the People’s Ombudsman of Piura.
The People's Ombudsman had earlier denounced an ecologically damaging exploratory invasion committed by the Majaz mining company, the Peruvian branch of Monterrico Metals of England.
As part of the democratic process, conservationists such as Alejandro Zegarra-Pezo with support from the Andean Tapir Fund, prepared to present information to the voters concerning what mining would mean for the last remaining cloud forests and paramos in Piura.
These conservationists were attacked by promining factions, including employees of the national and state government. Some government officials have waged a well-financed campaign to promote mining and to suppress those opposed to it, often denouncing them as communists, terrorists, or illiterate people.
Nonetheless, on Sunday, September 16, the referendum took place in an orderly fashion. Many of the campesinos had walked a day or more to exercise their right to vote.
The Majaz mining company sent hundreds of hired people to disrupt the vote. This disruption included incitement to physical violence through insults. In spite of these efforts, observed by Zegarra, the public referendum resulted in a resounding rejection of the mining project.
The communities on whose lands the Rio Blanco mining project is planned clearly opted for protecting their remaining vital watersheds and wilderness habitats.
With a substantial majority of eligible voters voting in all three communities, the count was about 95 percent opposed to mining in each of the three communities.
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