Jan 17 (Reuters) - Protesters in northern Peru abducted a contract security worker at Newmont Mining Corp's Conga project on Thursday and held him until the early hours of Friday morning, a spokesman for the U.S. miner's Peruvian joint venture said on Friday.
Yanacocha, controlled by Newmont, owns the huge Yanacocha gold mine as well as nearby Conga, a copper-gold project that has been the focus of years of sometimes violent unrest.
Yanacocha spokesman Roberto Del Águila said in an interview the worker had been released. A statement from the venture said authorities had been notified.
Newmont halted Conga's construction in 2011, saying it would focus on winning the support of local communities.
Peruvian miner Buenaventura has a 43.65 percent stake in the venture.
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