Peru fights against illegal gold mining

By Rodrigo Ugarte
Latin Post

Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Tasso
Peruvian President Ollanta Humala Tasso

Since 2008, the Peruvian government has been battling illegal miners. Amidst the wilderness of the Amazon jungle, explosives ravage the land, illegal prostitution oppresses the local population and disease spreads unmonitored.

In 2012, the Peruvian government passed legislation to curb the illegal gold mining rampant in its Amazonian departments. However, it did not fully enforce them until now. A deadline, which expired on April 25, allowed for illegal miners to register with the government. According to the AP, the government of President Ollanta Humala has vowed to enforce this latest deadline and will move against the remaining illegal miners.

There is an estimated 40,000 illegal miners in the gold mining regions, and they affect the local environment greatly. Mining operations outside government oversight have increased deforestation and have contaminated river systems, according to the news agency. Many indigenous tribes that have made little or no contact with Western civilization reside in the area and are susceptible to various diseases.

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