The Devil Operation

Father Marco Arana is an activist priest from Peru who has devoted himself to bringing economic and social justice to the people of his community. Speaking out for the rights of ordinary citizens over the demands of large corporate interests and well-funded political lobbyists, Arana has also become a champion for environmental protection in Peru, and in 2009 Time Magazine declared him “a Hero For The Environment.” But not everyone has been happy with Arana’s actions, particularly his campaign against the Yanacocha gold mines, controlled by large American companies; with millions of dollars at stake, those who stand to profit from the mines have declared Arana “the devil,” and have used violence and intimidation to silence him and his colleagues, including rape and murder at the hands of American and British security agents hired by multi-national firms with investments in Peru. Filmmaker Stephanie Boyd chronicles the battle between Arana and his fellow activists versus those who value money over human life and safety in the documentary The Devil Operation; the film received its North American premiere at the 2010 Hot Docs International Documentary Film Festival.