Bear Creek announces appointment of senior operational personnel in Peru: Elsiario Antunez de Mayolo, General Manager, and Tony Balestrini, Manager Corporate Affairs

VANCOUVER, March 12 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ - Bear Creek Mining Corporation (TSX Venture: BCM) ("Bear Creek" or the "Company") is very pleased to announce the appointment of Mr. Elsiario Antunez de Mayolo as General Manager of its Peruvian operations. Mr. Antunez de Mayolo was previously the Director of Operations for Southern Copper Corporation's ("SCC") Cuajone mine and concentrator complex, one of the largest mines in Peru. Prior to 2000, Mr. Antunez de Mayolo was Manager of Technical Services and Superintendent of Geology for SCC. Mr. Antunez de Mayolo has close to 30 years experience in the Peruvian mining industry in all areas of mine development including community relations, environmental permitting, mine planning, concentrator optimization, hydrogeology/water resources, reserve expansion, and exploration.

Andrew Swarthout, President and CEO, states, "I am extremely pleased to welcome Mr. Antunez de Mayolo in this key position as we move both of our two major silver deposits towards production. Elsiario brings tremendous bench-strength to the Company given his diverse background in executing projects related to mine development and operations. Mr. Antunez de Mayolo is widely known and respected in the Peruvian mining industry as well as being knowledgeable with international engineering services and equipment suppliers."

Elsiario Antunez de Mayolo will report to the Chief Operating Officer. David Michaud, the Company's current General Manager, will continue with Bear Creek as the Manager, Technical Services. David will focus his efforts on continuing to improve and optimize the metallurgical performance on the Corani and Santa Ana deposits and assist in the preparations of the two feasibility studies currently underway.

The Company is also pleased to announce the appointment of Tony Balestrini as Manager of Corporate Affairs. Mr. Balestrini provides extensive experience in the fields of community and government relations, land acquisition, and permitting as a result of his successful involvement in building Barrick's Pierina and Lagunas Norte mines and the advancement of Peru Copper's Toromocho Project.

According to Marc Leduc, COO, "These are two important and complementary additions to our mine building team as we move both Santa Ana and Corani to production on an expedited timeline and pursue our goal of producing 15 to 20 million ounces of silver per year by 2014."

    About Bear Creek:
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Bear Creek is an exploration and development company with two advanced multi hundred million ounce silver deposits in Peru. The Company has completed a prefeasibility study on its Corani silver-lead-zinc deposit placing 258 million ounces of silver into reserves and has initiated a feasibility study on its Santa Ana silver deposit anticipated to be completed in mid-2010. Both projects are 100% owned by Bear Creek and are expected to provide two important development opportunities for the aggregate production of approximately 15 million ounces silver per year, plus base metals credits. Additionally, the Company maintains an aggressive gold-focused exploration program.

Neither the TSX Venture Exchange nor its Regulation Services Provider (as that term is defined in the policies of the TSX Venture Exchange) accepts responsibility for the adequacy or accuracy of this release.

Regulatory footnotes:

All of Bear Creek's exploration programs and pertinent disclosure of a technical or scientific nature are prepared by or prepared under the direct supervision of Marc Leduc, P. Eng., Chief Operating Office, Christian Rios, P. Geo., Manager of Exploration and the President and CEO, Andrew Swarthout, P. Geo., who serve as the Qualified Persons under the definitions of NI 43-101.

Certain disclosure in this release, including management's assessment of Bear Creek's plans and projects, constitutes forward-looking statements that are subject to numerous risks, uncertainties and other factors relating to Bear Creek's operation as a mineral exploration company that may cause future results to differ materially from those expressed or implied in such forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements. Bear Creek expressly disclaims any intention or obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements whether as a result of new information, future events or otherwise.

SOURCE Bear Creek Mining Corporation