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Illegal gold mining surges into new parts of Peru’s Amazon, threatening rivers and lives
Illegal mining driven by near-record gold prices is causing rapid deforestation, mercury pollution, and health risks across Peru's Amazon, affecting Indigenous communities and biodiversity.
- This year, illegal gold mining has surged into new parts of Peru's Amazon, including Loreto, Ucayali, and affected Indigenous territories, with impacts visible at Panguana Biological Station, Fernando Malatesta said.
- Rising gold prices — roughly $2,000 an ounce in 2026 — and global demand make remote mining profitable, while transnational criminal networks fund expansion and scientists warn of ecological tipping points.
- Illegal operators deploy bulldozers, excavators and floating dredges, carving land and muddying rivers, while Peruvian enforcement agencies seized equipment worth more than 60 million soles.
- Community leaders report fear as violence and killings mount across the Amazon, with more than 30 Indigenous leaders killed in recent years and some local Indigenous communities pressured to join mining or sell land.
- Environmental experts warn mercury contamination risks rival the Minamata disaster, urging accountability as Peru's multisector commission and high commissioner confront weak enforcement.
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15 Articles
15 Articles
Associated Press News+12 Reposted by 12 other sources
Illegal gold mining surges into new parts of Peru’s Amazon, threatening rivers and lives
Illegal gold mining is spreading into new parts of Peru’s Amazon, and experts say it is driving a growing environmental and health crisis.
·United States
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Coverage Details
Total News Sources15
Leaning Left7Leaning Right3Center4Last UpdatedBias Distribution50% Left
Bias Distribution
- 50% of the sources lean Left
50% Left
L 50%
C 29%
R 21%
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