The Ghost Town and the Gold Mine

We had been invited to Orcopampa by the pueblo’s Alcalde (Mayor) to look into establishing a project combating malnutrition in school aged children. The invitation coincided with the towns 123rd Anniversary of founding so the place was buzzing with activity. There were several media types from the national television and radio and some performers had been drafted in for the celebrations.

At 6:30 (yes, an hour after finally finding a bed) We went to the Alcade’s office to be welcomed along with some of the other guests. After breakfast one of the Alcade’s men, Jorge, took us around to see the area. The town of Orcopampa is basically built around the gold mine located just outside of the town. I asked Jorge if there was any other industry in the town and he said there was not. Nearly everything that came in and out of the town was linked in someway to the mine.




The village of Orcopampa is in a valley plateau, some 3’600 feet high in the Andes. The area is steeped in history extending far beyond the Orcopampa’s 123 years. Pre-Inca terraced fields climb the mountain sides and several colonial era churches are scattered through the valley in various states of disrepair. “Nothing grows here now.” Jorge tells us. The area used to be largely self sufficient, growing potatoes and other crops, but now there is no water and the area and the ground is dry. Most food must now be imported and the children, as well as their families are suffering from malnutrition. That’s we’re here.

We travel to a nearby village, “un pueblo fantasmo” Jose observes. A ghost town. A few houses lie clumped around the crumbling church although it’s difficult to know which are occupied and which have been abandoned. Many of the houses on the edge of the village are little more then roofless shells. We knock on one of the houses, there are clothes hanging in the court yard, presumably signs of life, but no one answers.



It would be easy to blame the areas woe’s on the mine, and very tempting to do so. The mine not only consumes vast quantities of water that would other wise mean that the people could be more self sufficient but contaminates the supply. However if it wasn’t for the mine would most of the people be there? Or would there be a scattering of smaller pueblo’s growing crops for their own consumption and living in isolation? Is this ‘Development’?

Many things in the town are financed by the mine. On the outskirts of the ghost town there was a project financed by the mine that was growing trees to local to the area to combat deforestation. Further along the road there was some kind of ‘research institute’ for horticulture and agriculture that had a few shambling green houses and a pen containing a couple of dozen Llamas.

As we entered a woman came out to meet us. She was young and when Jose addressed her as ‘Senorita’ (Miss) she corrected him. Jose asked how old she was as she seemed pretty young to be married. “Twenty –Three” she replied. She had been married since the age of fourteen and was mother to three children. As she spoke to us a toddler shambled out towards her. I considered asking if he was her eldest or youngest but said nothing. However two more children soon emerged the eldest looking at least nine or ten years of age.

We viewed a few more pueblos and another project financed by the mining corporation. This was “aquaculture” Davis informed me as I tried to make sense of the various tanks of water on the mountain ridge. I had first thought it was some kind of water purification facility but each tank was crowed with fish of different sizes.

We returned to Orcopampa and I was still trying to figure out my thoughts on the mining corporation. They did seem to be at least trying to give some support to the local settlements but I couldn’t help wonder that when the pueblo had a gold mine sitting on its doorstep there was nothing but dirt roads from the town hall to the highway 7 hours away.