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a major Catholic leader in peru‘S Amazon The government is urgently appealing to gold-importing countries to help stop illegal mining, which is seriously polluting rivers Mercury Because gold prices have reached unprecedented highs.
Miguel Angel Cadenas, an Augustinian priest who has devoted three decades peru‘S Amazon There are reports of a significant increase in illegal mining activities in the region covid-19 pandemic.
He highlighted the Tigray, Nanay, Napo and Putumayo rivers as areas where local communities face grave risks.
Scientific tests have shown Mercury Its levels in some fish exceed World Health Organization limits, while hair samples from residents analyzed by experts also showed worryingly high concentrations.
“We are in a critical situation,” Cadenas said. The Associated Press“Given that the Amazonian diet is rich in fish, we are talking about food insecurity.”
MercuryWidely used in small-scale gold separation, it contaminates water, accumulates in fish, and accumulates in the human body, causing severe neurological and developmental damage.
Cadenas stressed that these health risks are particularly serious. AmazonWhere access to medical services is scarce.
Ahead Research In peruThe Madre de Dios region indicated that 43 percent of women were of childbearing age. Mercury Levels above WHO safety limits.
Similarly, hair samples were taken from nearby villages. peruRiver routes in the Amazon showed that about 80 percent of residents exceeded acceptable limits.
“Most people don’t understand what’s going on. There’s barely any information,” Cadenas said. “The state must first provide its population with good information and then provide information about sources of food that allow other options – which do not exist.”
Call for gold detection capability
Gold prices are rising – analysts predict an average price of around $3,675 an ounce by the end of 2025 with a potential rise to $4,000 by 2026. JP Morgan,
Analysts say weak traceability systems make it easier for illegally mined gold to reach global markets. report from Switzerland Gold contaminated with mercury in places like the Amazon is often cleaned through refineries before being used in jewellery, electronics or entering national reserves, say sustainability researchers who focus on environmental, social and governance (ESG) standards.
Cadenas, who served as a missionary and bishop before being appointed to lead the Apostolic Vicariate in 2021 Iquitosemphasized that peru Cannot handle the problem alone.
“As long as the price of gold continues to rise, it is very difficult for the national government to handle this situation,” he said. He also pointed towards the countries buying gold ChinaThe united arab emiratesThe united kingdom And Switzerland,
“The first responsibility should be to require countries buying gold to have traceability, so that it is not possible to launder illegal gold so easily,” he said.
‘Very serious’
Cadenas also warned of increasing violence, especially against local environmental defenders in the Amazon region.
Throughout the Amazon, environmental defenders are often targeted – Colombia Peru has led the world in killings for several years, while also being one of the most dangerous places to speak out against illegal mining and logging.
“There are people who are being threatened with death, and that seems extremely serious to me,” he said, citing reports that illegal miners in remote areas are linked to armed groups, including Colombians. FARC dissatisfied
Peru has tried several times to curb illegal mining and use of mercury. In 2019, it launched Operation Mercury, a military-police action that sharply reduced deforestation in the La Pampa mining region, although most activity later shifted elsewhere. Authorities also announced a record seizure of banned mercury this year at the port of Callao, including a four-ton shipment.
Still, indigenous groups say enforcement is inconsistent, and regional governments across the Amazon warn that cross-border trafficking of mercury is fueling illegal mining.
international action
city of Iquitos Last week it hosted the Amazon Water Summit, which the Vicariate helped to organise. about 400 people from Peru, Ecuador, Colombia And brazil Participated in 14 workshops on topics including water and extractivism, climate change and education.
Cadenas said access to drinking water in Loreto, Peru’s largest Amazonian department, is among the lowest in the country – where about 60% of the population lacks potable water and sanitation. Peruvian constitutional court It was ruled two years ago that this was an “unconstitutional situation”, but he said the verdict was not yet complete.
Cadenas, who said he knew Pope Leo XIV – who spent years in Peru as a missionary and later bishop – fears that unless international action curbs illegal gold demand, the situation will worsen.
“Every day there are more and more people dedicated to illegal mining. Although there is no serious international pressure, it will be very difficult,” he warned.
Nevertheless, he directed a personal appeal to the destroyers.
“Earning money is fine, but it cannot be at the cost of injustice and the lives of the poorest,” he said.