Peru prioritizes averting resource conflicts, clashes

LIMA (Reuters) - Peru has ramped up mediation efforts and pulled back from repressive police tactics as it tries to manage disputes over mining and energy projects that often turn deadly, the head of the president's conflict prevention office said.

Vladimiro Huaroc, a former regional governor appointed to his current post last year, told Reuters that redoubled efforts to mediate conflicts before they turn violent - along with a greater state presence in rural areas - is helping the government regain trust in poor communities left behind by the country's long economic boom.