Actions against illegal mining in Peru

Military actions against illegal mining featured prominently in headlines in Peru, as the Peruvian Interior Ministry announced that it would continue the Peruvian military’s operations in the areas of Arequipa, Puno, and Madre de Dios, in support of the local police.  The purpose of the operations is to ensure security and avoid the acts of violence that can be generated by illegal mining. With this new order, the Peruvian military’s operations against illegal mining will continue in these areas until December 17, 2014.

Over the weekend, the Peruvian National Police “rescued” sixty women from four brothels in Madre de Dios during an operation against illegal mining in the area. According to the article, twelve of the women decided to “leave prostitution” and sought government support, while the remaining 48 decided to return to the area. According to the Interior Ministry, these women will be monitored by the government, to ensure that they are not forced into prostitution in the future. According to a different report, the twelve women who “left prostitution” were actually minors.

The Peruvian High Commissioner Against Illegal Mining, Augusto Soto Castagnola, explained that these operations against illegal mining were designed to show the people living in this area that their current way of life, illegal mining, would not be permitted by the Peruvian government. In addition to the brothels shut down by the National Police, sixty motorcycles were also seized. It remains to be seen whether these operations actually dealt a strong blow to illegal mining in the area.

Nonetheless, illegal mining, the scourge that instigated these operations, is a danger. Illegal mining in Made de Dios has already destroyed more than 40,000 hectares of forest in the Peruvian jungle. This illegal way of life causes tremendous social and environmental damage.