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Straits Times
04-07-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Peru ramps up fight against illegal mining, kicks most informal miners off permit scheme
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox LIMA - Peru's government has kicked 50,565 informal miners off of a temporary program that allowed them to continue operations, the minister of energy and mines said on Friday. Only 31,560 miners will remain in the program that aims to formalize them and the government will reinforce its efforts against illegal mining, minister Jorge Montero told a local radio station. The government said at least 45,000 of the excluded miners had not registered any activity in the last four years. The program, called REINFO, was started in 2012 and meant to be temporary and formalize miners operating outside the law. It has since been extended multiple times and been criticized for enabling illegal mining. Government attempts to shutter the program have been met with protests and in late June the government said it was extending the program until the end of 2025. Protests have continue though, including a blockade in parts of Peru's key copper corridor earlier this week, with miners saying they want "unconditional formalization." Many workers have used the temporary permit to mine in prohibited areas or third-party property without having to comply with labor or environmental regulations, according to authorities and private mining companies. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PAP has begun search for new candidates; PM Wong hopes to deploy them earlier ahead of next GE Singapore 20 retired MPs spoke up on many issues in Parliament, helped successors prepare for new role: PM Wong Singapore $3b money laundering case: 9 financial institutions handed $27.45m in MAS penalties over breaches Singapore Banks tighten vigilance and processes following $3b money laundering case Singapore Seller's stamp duty hike surprises some amid moderating property market, but is ultimately prudent Singapore Trilateral work group formed to address allegations of foreigners illegally taking on platform work Singapore Power distribution system in renewal project may be linked to Bukit Panjang LRT disruption: SMRT Singapore Rise in number of scam e-mails claiming to be from Cardinal William Goh: Catholic Church This has led to deadly clashes in mining regions, leaving dozens dead in the last few years, even leading President Dina Boluarte to temporarily suspend mining in the country's north after 13 gold mine workers were kidnapped and killed. REUTERS
The Star
04-07-2025
- Business
- The Star
Peru ramps up fight against illegal mining, kicks most informal miners off permit scheme
LIMA (Reuters) -Peru's government has excluded 50,500 informal miners from a temporary program that would allow them to continue operations, the minister of energy and mines said on Friday. Only 30,500 small-scale miners will remain in the program, called REINFO, to seek formalization and the government will reinforce its efforts against illegal miners, minister Jorge Montero told a local radio station. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by ALexander Villegas)
UPI
03-07-2025
- Business
- UPI
Criminal groups exploit Peru's small-scale mining registration program
Registered miners in Peru have had been given a deadline to submit documents, meet environmental and labor standards and transition to legal operations. But after four extensions, the process has failed to deliver many results. Photo by Tyna_Janoch/ Pixabay July 3 (UPI) -- The government of President Dina Boluarte has extended Peru's small-scale mining formalization program through December, even as doubts persist more than a decade after its launch and experts warn that criminal organizations have exploited the system. According to official figures from the Ministry of Energy and Mines, just 2,108 of the 86,000 miners enrolled in the Integral Registry for Mining Formalization, or REINFO, had completed the process as of November 2024 -- a rate of only 2.4%. REINFO was launched as part of a government effort to contain the unchecked growth of informal and illegal mining. It gave registered miners a deadline to submit documents, meet environmental and labor standards and transition to legal operations. But after four extensions, the process has failed to deliver lasting results. Energy and Mines Minister Jorge Montero said the situation could improve in the coming months. He noted that another 5% of registered miners are close to completing the formalization process, and added that the government aims to mediate agreements between concession holders and roughly 15,000 small-scale miners who are working informally on those sites. But experts say repeated deadline extensions have turned the program into a legal gray area that criminal groups exploit. "We're talking about a failed system by every measure," Mónica Muñoz-Nájar, an economist with the Red de Estudios para el Desarrollo, said in an interview with RPP. She pointed to the low rate of formalization and the expansion of informal mining. "Forty-four percent of the gold Peru exports comes from illegal mining, which has become more profitable than drug trafficking. It's estimated that illegal mining generates $12 billion a year," she said. One of the strongest criticisms of REINFO comes from the National Society of Mining, Petroleum and Energy. Its president, Julia Torreblanca, said the registry has become a "shield for illegality" and that its indiscriminate extensions distort the market by protecting individuals who have no intention of following the law or meeting formalization requirements. A growing concern, however, is the infiltration of organized crime into informal mining zones operating under REINFO's protection. Organizations such as the Observatory of Illegal Mining and advocacy group DAR have warned that criminal networks use the registry to operate unregulated mining fronts, traffic illegal gold, transport chemical supplies and even facilitate human trafficking and forced labor. These warnings align with reports from the National Police, who have identified criminal networks in regions including Madre de Dios, Puno and La Libertad. Authorities say these groups use informal mining concessions to conceal a range of illegal activities, including fuel smuggling, arms trafficking and the export of gold to international markets. In early May, police reported the kidnapping and murder of 13 private security guards employed by a contractor linked to the Poderosa mining company in the Pataz region. Authorities said the bodies showed signs of torture and were found bound and unclothed -- a sign of the extreme violence used by criminal gangs tied to illegal mining. The case marked a critical moment in Peru, underscoring the violence and criminal networks that operate alongside illegal mining in the Andes and the direct threat they pose to people working in the region. A recent report from the Pontifical Catholic University of Peru warns that illegal mining is one of the most destructive activities environmentally, socially and economically. It found that in regions like Madre de Dios, up to 50,000 hectares of forest have been destroyed. The state collected about $12,000 in taxes, compared with an estimated $565 million in extracted gold. Estimated tax evasion ranges from $85 million to $168 million.
Yahoo
04-06-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peru orders mining operations restart in violence-hit north
LIMA (Reuters) -Peru's government has restored formal mining operations in northern parts of the country that were affected by violence, Defense Minister Walter Astudillo said on Wednesday. Last month, President Dina Boluarte suspended local mining operations after 13 gold mine workers in the northern district of Pataz were kidnapped and killed by illegal miners. Peru is the world's third-largest copper producer and most of its deposits of the key red metal are located in southern parts of the Andean nation, while gold and silver are mined further to the north. Astudillo said the decision to resume operations followed discussions with formal mining companies and Pataz authorities, noting the sector's importance to the local economy. "There was a clamor from the population for mining activities to be carried out," he said at a press conference following a cabinet meeting. The minister also said the government had extended the state of emergency in Pataz for another 60 days, allowing the armed forces to take control of the area. Mining operations will resume for companies and artisanal or small-scale miners with valid permits under the REINFO program, which allows temporary activity while operations are formalized. Activities will be permitted from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, he added.
Straits Times
04-06-2025
- Business
- Straits Times
Peru orders mining operations restart in violence-hit north
FILE PHOTO: Mourners attend the funeral procession for one of the mine workers from a small mine linked to gold mining company Poderosa who was kidnapped and killed by illegal miners, in Trujillo, Peru May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda/File Photo LIMA - Peru's government has restored formal mining operations in northern parts of the country that were affected by violence, Defense Minister Walter Astudillo said on Wednesday. Last month, President Dina Boluarte suspended local mining operations after 13 gold mine workers in the northern district of Pataz were kidnapped and killed by illegal miners. Peru is the world's third-largest copper producer and most of its deposits of the key red metal are located in southern parts of the Andean nation, while gold and silver are mined further to the north. Astudillo said the decision to resume operations followed discussions with formal mining companies and Pataz authorities, noting the sector's importance to the local economy. "There was a clamor from the population for mining activities to be carried out," he said at a press conference following a cabinet meeting. The minister also said the government had extended the state of emergency in Pataz for another 60 days, allowing the armed forces to take control of the area. Mining operations will resume for companies and artisanal or small-scale miners with valid permits under the REINFO program, which allows temporary activity while operations are formalized. Activities will be permitted from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, he added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
