There is a fight against illegal mining in the Amazon

The consequences of illegal mining in the Peruvian Amazon are dire. Peruvian President Martin Viscarra has shared a video on his social media where he announces that the authorities will be permanently present in the Amazon to protect against the development of illegal mining.

Earlier that year, his administration launched Operation Mercury in the southeastern department of Madre de Dios. The initiative called for the deployment of nearly 1,600 people between the military, police and prosecutors in the Amazon region. Officers were instructed to destroy illegal mining camps, halt operations and detain gold miners.

A total of 72 camps were destroyed, 88 people were detained, 52 victims of slavery were freed, and 247 engines, 64 dredges, 76 boats and nearly $ 19.7 million. The United States was seized.


Meeting of the President of Peru, Martin Vizcarra, with the leadership of the Madre de Dios department. The photo was published in the presidential office.

Official information shows that in just 10 years, illegal mining has destroyed more than 11,000 hectares of the Peruvian Amazon. Artisanal operations in the area have been reported since the 1970s, but the Atlas of Environmental Justice notes that they have increased in size and intensity in recent years and pose a serious threat to Bahua Sonene National Park and Tambopata Nature Reserve, which include ecosystems with one of the highest biodiversity in the area.