At the start of 2015, Southern Copper’s Tía María copper project, a $1.4 billion venture, appeared at the top of the list of the next-to-be-built copper mines in Peru. The mobilization of anti-mining protestors in Arequipa’s Tambo Valley, however, resulted in weeks of turmoil and the suspension of the project.

Peru’s GDP only expanded by 2.35% in 2014, the lowest rate since 2009, and the depression in demand and decline in prices for mineral commodities are dragging down growth. As the economy cools down after years of impressive performance, Peru cannot afford the luxury of letting multi-billion mining investments go to other countries.

Mining investments over the first quarter of 2015 amounted to $1.7 billion, a 14% decrease year-on-year. While Tía María has been stealing the headlines, other big investments have been successfully advancing, such as Hudbay Minerals’ Constancia, MMG’s Las Bambas, Freeport McMoRan’s Cerro Verde expansion, and Hochschild Mining’s Inmaculada.

With outstanding geology, competitive power and labor costs, and a great pool of providers in place, Peru will remain a top mining destination in the years to come. Operators and developers, though, will need to do a great job identifying and addressing social issues before conflicts arise, or they could see their projects endangered.