Codelco says Chuquicamata mine operating normally despite protests

Chile's Codelco said its sprawling Chuquicamata copper mine was operating normally after workers blocked access to the mine overnight Thursday. Unions at Chuquicamata, the state miner's second largest by output, have protested for months over plans to transform the century-old open pit into an underground mine, a key facet of Codelco's $39-billion, 10-year drive to update its aging deposits.