Barrick's ownership) and increased in implementation after Barrick bought the mine. Peter Munk prevented intervention by a shareholder proxy from speaking at the 2008 shareholder meeting about her reports of deadly violence and sexual violence from security contractors and took until 2010 to accept the reports were true. A compensation scheme was set up and paid 119 survivors of sexual violence around CAD$8,000 per person on the condition that they agreed not to sue Barrick Gold. Ownership Soon after the Human Rights Watch 2011 publication, the mine, which was owned jointly by Barrick, Zijin Mining Group of China, and local landowners through Mineral Resources Enga, was nationalized by the government of Papua New Guinea under Prime Minister James Marape when the government did not renew the mining lease, and it expired in August 2019. The gold mine, which contributes about 10% of Papua New Guinea's total exports, was seen by Prime Minister James Marape as a way for the country to get a greater share of its major natural resource projects. In response, Barrick Gold sued the government in the Papua New Guinea courts and in an industrial tribunal. The government backed down after negotiating a greater ownership share in the joint venture. Environmental concerns The mine has, for many years, been severely contaminating the Porgera River, adjacent rivers, and the Gulf of Papua. Peru In February 2021, Barrick Gold announced it would sell its Lagunas Norte mine in Peru. The mine is sold to Boroo Pte Ltd. for up to US$81 million. Water The BBC reported in September 2012 that one person was killed and at least four more were injured at the Barrick Pierina mine in the northern Ancash region of Peru in clashes between national police and members of a neighboring community who were protesting the mine's alleged over-consumption and contamination of local water sources during a drought. Villagers from the communities of Mareniyoc and San Isidro blocked an access road to the mine and entered the property by forcing open the mine gate. Community members asked that the mine provide the communities with drinking water. Operations at the mine resumed after two days. United States Cortez Hills Through 2009 and into 2010, Barrick Gold's Cortez Hills project was the subject of litigation in Nevada, seeking to block the project. Opponents appealed to the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, challenging a ruling in