Farmers and labor unions marched in the southern Peruvian district of Cocachacra on Saturday to continue the ongoing fight to shut down Tía María, a controversial mining project from the transnational U.S.-Mexican company Southern Copper.

The march is a direct response to Southern Copper's decision Friday to pause the mining project for a period of 60 days. Protests continue as the transnational company has refused to withdraw its $1.4 billion project despite 52 days of continuous protests and violent repression.

We reject this mining project because Southern has proven to be a corrupt business. We want the project to withdraw now!” Augusto Paredes, representative of farmers of the Tambo Valley in Peru, told TeleSUR.

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala said Friday that the mining project will not be suspended explaining “the state cannot adopt a unilateral decision that is not governed by the law. It would expose the government to legal complaints and it would have terrible effects, both judicially and economically”.

Telesur