Business, Mining, Politics

Three Injured in Second Day of Illegal Mining Protests

Mazuko - Madre de Dios
Homes and businesses line the one road in Mazuko, a town built by illegal gold miners in Madre de Dios

Three people were injured, including a policeman, in the second day of protests by illegal miners, daily La Republica reported.

The incidents occurred in the town of Mazuko, in Peru’s south-eastern Madre de Dios region, when police tried to remove protesters from a road. Almost all of Mazuko’s population is involved in illegal gold mining, according to La Republica.

“The sub-official has been evacuated to Cusco,” said Salvador Iglesias, the head of the tourism and environment department in Peru’s National Police. “Everything is calm now. They pulled back due to rains and now there is only a small group.”

“We can’t allow them to continue to block roads,” he added.

Hundreds of informal and illegal miners have taken to the streets this week to protest government measures to regulate their activities. Protests have blocked the Interoceanic highway in Madre de Dios, while demonstrations have also taken place in Puno —where miners from La Rinconada block the Juliaca airport temporarily— and several other regions.

Unregulated mining is a major source of deforestation and pollution of rivers in Peru’s Amazon rainforest, especially the diverse region of Madre de Dios.

2 Comments

  1. This is unbelievable, the illegal miners are protesting about what. They are illegal. Get a permit pay taxes

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