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A South American trade block ruled on Monday Peru Illegal gold mining and mercury smuggling fail to fulfill their commitments to curb smuggling, siding with indigenous groups Heroic Rivers and food supply are being poisoned.
Decision by the Andean community – which includes Peru, Colombia, Ecuador And Bolivia – Order Peru to improve its laws immediately, seizing the machinery that sucks the river sediment and other mining devices, and ends the expansion of a registry for informal miners that critics say illegality.
This is the first time the Andean community has raised such a case and formally ruled against a member country as the authorities have tried to find a mechanism to tighten the growing trade.
Illegal gold mining in Amazon has spread widely spread as a global demand and makes the increase in gold prices attractive. Analysts hope that gold will grow to $ 4,000 an ounce by 2026. Mercury is widely used to separate gold from sediment, but it contaminates waterways, accumulates in fish and forms in the human body – produces special risk for children and pregnant women.
Peru has 20 working days, to follow and report what steps he has taken to bring his laws into line. If it fails, the case can be sent to the Tribunal of Justice of the block, with the power to impose binding trade ban on the member states.
The complaint was filed by a coalition of indigenous and rural communities from the Nanay River Basin at the end of June, which says that the mercury is poisoning fish and rivers in the northern Amazon, Peru due to illegal gold mining. The hair samples collected in the area have shown the level of mercury level above the World Health Organization safety boundaries, and researchers have approached rashes, abdominal disease and neurological damage.
Peru’s environmental lawyer, Sesar Ipenza said, “Somehow it is a response to the demands of the mercury contamination affected communities, and it is also a message for other countries that they should attempt to comply with everyone and respect everyone’s rights to live in healthy and adequate environment.”
Ipenza said that if fails to follow the country, the restrictions would be economic, such as tariffs on Peru’s products within four Andian countries. He said that this decision can rule against other countries and rule against other countries.
Peru has introduced timely cracks on illegal mercury, publishing the 2019 “Operation Mercury” in the Madre Dey Dies area in Amazon, Peru, and the records of the Constrabond Para were seizure earlier this year at Kailao’s port early this year. But indigenous groups say that enforcement remains and corrupt networks allow trade to flourish.
AP did not receive a response to Peru’s request to comment from the Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism or Ministry of Culture, Government Office, Indigenous Affairs.
“This is a warning to those countries that are destinations to sleep. They should have more clarity about its origin, ENG Ipeenza said.
They only require proper diligence mechanism beyond paperwork, to prevent trade in gold which comes from the destruction of Amazon, contamination and violation of fundamental human rights. ,
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