reporter: one person who has always stood by the victims is pedro barreto, a cardinal who comes from region. over the years he has seen how many deaths have been caused by the ruruthless exploitation of mineral resources, often by foreign commodity companies. [translated] >> the church is not against the mimining industry. but we do not support an irresponsible form of mining, where peru as a state allows foreign firms to reap enormous profits, while at the same time our people and the environment suffer such devastating consequences. reporter: the mining company glencore did not respond to our request for an interview. nor did the peruvian government. the state is profiting from the wealth buried under the earth -- as do the commodity companies. it's the local people who pay the price. [translated] >> we feel forgotten. compared to other cities, wewe have given a lot to peru and our government, but we have been given nothing in return. we are in a worse positition tn other cities. reporter: a place caught in the chokehold of global greed for raw materials, where excavators devour th