Conflict has become a central concept to understanding the recent expansion of mining across the Andes. Yet, while contestation can emerge and has done so, the continued extraction of minerals requires scholars to attend to how mining projects maintain viability. This article moves beyond analyses of conflict to elucidate the role of compromise in achieving temporary states of homeostasis. Using ethnographic data collected at the Las Bambas copper mine in the highlands of southern Peru, I explore the agential navigation of communities affected by mining and the projects they develop in pursuit of ‘a better life’. The article elucidates the challenges that industrial production presents for professional employment, the limitations of boomtown hustling (informal economic activity) for aspiring individuals, and the rise of artisanal mining as a project of social mobility. Ultimately, the acceptance of such ‘illegal’ mining by corporate proprietors demonstrates the complementary nature that informal and formal extraction play in allaying the momentum of conflict.

中文翻译：

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机械化矿坑和手工隧道：秘鲁安第斯山脉矿业投资的不一致性和互补性

冲突已成为理解最近安第斯山脉采矿扩张的核心概念。然而，尽管争论可能会出现并且已经发生，但矿物的持续开采需要学者们关注采矿项目如何保持可行性。本文超越了冲突分析，阐明了妥协在实现临时体内平衡状态中的作用。利用在秘鲁南部高地的拉斯班巴斯铜矿收集的民族志数据，我探索了受采矿影响的社区的代理导航以及他们为追求“更美好的生活”而开发的项目。这篇文章阐明了工业生产对专业就业的挑战，新兴城市喧嚣（非正规经济活动）对有抱负的个人的局限性，以及作为社会流动性项目的手工采矿的兴起。最终，公司所有者接受这种“非法”采矿证明了非正式和正式开采在缓和冲突势头方面的互补性。