Amazon's Gold Rush Spreads: Mercury, Crime Surge

Illegal gold mining in Peru's Amazon is expanding into new, remote riverine areas and Indigenous territories, signaling a new phase for the destructive industry. Operations, once concentrated in Madre de Dios, are now advancing into regions like Loreto and Ucayali, affecting "all regions of Peru." This expansion accelerates deforestation, pollutes rivers with mercury, and exposes communities to violence and organized crime.

The surge is driven by soaring gold prices, with operations utilizing bulldozers and floating dredges. This rapid mechanization causes immediate sediment plumes and mercury contamination. Conservation areas like Panguana Biological Station are experiencing visible environmental degradation, with forests replaced by murky waters.

Researchers note a growing involvement of transnational criminal groups, with illegal mining serving as a key income source for these networks. This connection extends to political forces within the country. Despite government efforts to combat illegal mining, including equipment seizures totaling over 60 million soles ($16 million), environmental defenders cite weak on-the-ground enforcement.

Indigenous communities face escalating threats and violence, with over 30 leaders reportedly killed defending their lands. Economic desperation leads some to participate in mining, while others resist. Mercury poisoning poses severe health risks, particularly for fish-dependent communities, with potential for neurological damage and deformities, mirroring historical disasters.

Scientists caution that continued expansion could push the Amazon toward an ecological tipping point, transforming rainforests into degraded savanna-like ecosystems. International gold buyers are urged to be accountable for the environmental and human cost of their consumption.