During his participation in Heading to PERUMIN, Darío Zegarra called for the strengthening of education and governance.

“Very few industries and economic sectors are able to make investments in remote locations where there are no roads, no electricity, and no existing infrastructure of any kind. And all that infrastructure is built thanks to an initial investment. That is added value." This was said by Darío Zegarra, president of the Peruvian Institute of Mining Engineers, regarding the mining industry's ability to create development conditions in different parts of the country.

During the Heading to PERUMIN event entitled "Opportunities for the Comprehensive Development of Cajamarca," Darío Zegarra argued that this infrastructure (resulting from mining investments) opens up opportunities for productive chains, generating economic corridors. These, he said, promote the natural diversification of markets, allowing other productive activities to develop. This adds additional value beyond what is developed within the mining industry itself through the processing and refining of mineral concentrates.

At another point in his presentation, Zegarra highlighted the Ica region as a model of economic development for Cajamarca, noting that private investment in various productive activities, including mining, has reduced poverty rates to minimal levels in the southern region. "This is something we can and should aspire to, given all the potential we have in Cajamarca," explained the IIMP president, referring to other activities such as agriculture, tourism, and transportation.

“There are no jobs without investments”

Darío Zegarra also recalled that Cajamarca's economy, with mining as part of its productive matrix, achieved continuous growth between 1990 and 2012, after a permanent decline since 1974. "It is an opportunity to discuss what has worked, and surely there are several things we can do better, no doubt, but let's not dismiss what has worked," he explained, referring to the lack of implementation of mining projects in this region of the country.

He also called for a concerted effort to achieve sustainable growth in the region, reiterating that "if there is no investment, there are no jobs; and if there are no jobs, there is no development." Additionally, he highlighted Cajamarca's copper potential, given the high demand for this mineral due to the global energy transition, which he considered a historic opportunity for the region.

In this regard, the president of the IIMP reiterated the need to strengthen the quality of education in order to valorize these resources, as well as the government ability to channel investments and the revenues they generate for the benefit of the population.