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                                                                      Exhibit 15

July 19, 2002

To Southern Peru Copper Corporation

We have made a review, in accordance with standards established by the American
Institute of Certified Public Accountants, of the unaudited interim financial
information of Southern Peru Copper Corporation and subsidiaries for the three
month period ended March 31, 2002 as indicated in our report dated July 19,
2002; because we did not perform an audit, we expressed no opinion on that
information.

We are aware that our report referred to above, which is included in your
Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q/A for the quarter ended March 31, 2002, is
incorporated by reference in Registration Statement Nos. 333-02736 and 333-40293
on Forms S-8.

We also are aware that the aforementioned report, pursuant to Rule 436(c) under
the Securities Act of 1933, is not considered a part of the Registration
Statement prepared or certified by an accountant or a report prepared or
certified by an accountant within the meaning of Sections 7 and 11 of that Act.


DELOITTE & TOUCHE LLP
Phoenix, Arizona