The head of the Presidency of the Council of Ministers (PCM), Violeta Bermudez, during the closing ceremony of the 12th International Congress of Prospectors and Explorers (proEXPLO 2021), emphasized Peru's mining tradition and its importance to Peruvian economy.

"Peru has a long mining tradition with a great geological potential to be explored and world-class operations. In addition, mining is one of the great engines of our economy as it represents around 60% of foreign exchange income; and in the last 10 years this activity has represented 10% of the GDP", said the head of the PCM.

She added that Peru requires investments that generate opportunities for the progress of all people and thus overcome the challenges of inequality.

Regarding proEXPLO 2021, organized by the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers (IIMP), Violeta Bermúdez highlighted that it has focused on strengthening the links between academia, industry and mining investors in order to reinforce the development of mining exploration in a context of responsible and environmentally sustainable investment.

A similar opinion was expressed by the vice-president of the IIMP, Miguel Cardozo Goytizolo, who in his speech emphasized the fact that in this proEXPLO, "not only has it been ratified that Peru has an enormous mining potential and is one of the main exploration destinations in the world, but also that it has great challenges ahead in order to move forward and crystallize its objectives in the short, medium and long term".

"Which is why it will be vital to promote and facilitate exploration in our country. If we do not do so, we lose knowledge, information and opportunities. Without exploration, the growth of the mining sector will not be viable and the future of the sector and the country itself will be put at risk," Dr. Cardozo emphasized.

Successful results

Enrique Garay, president of proEXPLO 2021, reported on the achievements of this edition, which was 100% virtual.

"In the five days of congress, we had the participation of 4,000 professionals, 200 students from national and foreign universities; and 330 attendees to pre and post courses from 10 countries. Also, the speakers came from North America, Latin America and other countries; and it is worth mentioning the participation of the speaker Rafael Bernaola who made his presentation from a mine", said Eng. Garay.

At the closing ceremony it was also announced that the president of the Organizing Committee of proEXPLO 2023 will be Eng. Sebastián Benavides, who currently serves as exploration manager for Peru and Ecuador at First Quantum Minerals.

"It is an honor for me to continue with the great legacy that proEXPLO has built and transformed today into the main mining exploration meeting in Latin America. Furthermore, at proEXPLO 2023, while we hope to return to an in-person setting, we will look to take lessons from this digital experience in order to maximize the reach of the conference to participants from Peru and around the world," stated Eng. Sebastian Benavides.

Picota de Plata

It is worth mentioning that this year the "Picota de Plata" Award went to Eng. Román Tejada Rospigliosi.