Peru’s gold rush threatens waterways and the people who depend on them

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In recent years, illegal mining has expanded rapidly throughout Peru’s Loreto region as miners have become emboldened by the absence of authorities and rising gold prices. The activity has affected the quality of water, bringing the threat of pollution and disease to more than 170,000 Indigenous inhabitants across the Peruvian Amazon.

Dredgers have been found in several rivers across the region, including the Marañón, Napo, Putumayo and Nanay rivers, says Abel Chiroque Becerra, head of Loreto’s ombudsman’s office. ...

‘This river is doomed’: Peru’s gold rush threatens waterways and the people who depend on them

Indigenous communities lead fight to stop illicit mining in Loreto that is poisoning the water and destroying its forests

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