Alessandro Cinque: Mining and Indigenous Rights in the Andes

Alessandro Cinque, an Italian photographer from Orvieto born in 1988, has been residing in Peru for six years. He showcased his work at the tenth Pictet Prize, which examines the connection between humanity and the environment. His project highlights the tensions between indigenous Quechua communities and foreign mining companies in the Peruvian Andes, critiquing the impacts of neoliberalism and neocolonialism. Cinque traveled 20,000 kilometers and engaged with 35 mining communities, emphasizing Peru's position as the second-largest producer of copper and silver globally, despite widespread poverty. Mining activities have led to water contamination, health problems, and the erosion of cultural traditions. Through a fanzine and an upcoming photobook, he seeks to democratize documentary photography and plans to investigate mining issues in Ecuador, Bolivia, Argentina, Colombia, and Chile, connecting them to recent anti-neoliberal protests.