Peru could become the world’s leading copper producer with existing deposits
Peru is facing a historic opportunity to consolidate itself as a global leader in critical minerals, but achieving this will require moving toward a more competitive, predictable, and efficient environment for investment. This was one of the key messages delivered by Juan Luis Kruger during the webinar “Critical Minerals: Is Peru Ready to Meet the Challenge?”, organized by Semana Económica as part of the Road to World Mining Congress 2026.
During his presentation, Kruger, who will participate as a speaker at the WMC, highlighted Peru’s privileged position due to the scale of its geological resources and the growing international demand for strategic minerals required for the energy transition.
“Peru could become the world’s leading copper producer if the deposits that already exist are simply brought into production,” he stated. However, he warned that the challenge lies in strengthening the conditions needed to accelerate investment and make mining projects viable.
The executive stressed the need to reduce regulatory burdens. “Today, obtaining permits for an exploration drill hole can take two or three years,” he said. He also noted that since 2011, the number of authorizations and approvals required to move a mining project forward has multiplied significantly, directly affecting the country’s competitiveness.
Predictability and efficiency
Despite these challenges, Kruger emphasized that the solution is not to lower environmental or social standards, but rather to provide greater certainty and efficiency in permitting processes. “Predictability is fundamental to attracting capital and continuing to develop the industry,” he noted.
Kruger also underscored the importance of strengthening institutional relationships between companies, the State, and communities in order to reduce social risks and improve the long-term sustainability of mining projects.
“It is very important to generate credibility, stability, and above all predictability to attract investment. In the end, this translates into one fundamental word for investment: trust,” he concluded.
