Copper Mar 23 (HG=F)

Exclusive-Peru mines power on despite protests, though shutdown risk looms

Peru's biggest copper mines have been able to maintain production despite road blockades, attacks and protests that have roiled the Andean nation for over two months and led to warnings of production halts, an analysis showed on Wednesday. The analysis of power usage data by Reuters at some of the key mines in Peru, the world's no. 2 copper producer, indicates that activity at the deposits remains near normal levels, although a source close to one major mine said the risk of stoppages was rising. The South American nation has been gripped by anti-government protests since the Dec. 7 ouster of leftist President Pedro Castillo.