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Peru's little miners obstruct highways, camp outside Congress requiring computer registry extension

Thousands of smallscale miners in Peru obstructed roadways and camped outside Congress on Monday to need extension of a program that allows them to run temporarily, however which authorities state has broadened unlawful mining.

A government expense sent out to Congress last week provided small-scale miners a six-month duration to formalize their activities after the current program expires on Dec. 31, however miners state that is inadequate time.

We are requesting for at least a two-year extension and for a. brand-new law that will permit us to finish our formalization, said. the president of the National Confederation of Small and. Artisanal Mining (Confemin), Maximo Becquer.

Hundreds have actually established tents near Congress because recently and. countless miners in uniforms and plastic helmets have actually blocked. the main seaside highway in the southern regions of Ica and. Arequipa, leaving numerous freight and guest cars. stuck for as much as five kilometers.

The program, known as REINFO, started in 2012 and gave. workers a temporary permit while they waited to be formalized. REINFO has been extended numerous times and presently has 85,000. signed up artisanal miners, just about 20% of which have actually been. formalized.

Lots of workers have actually utilized the short-term license to mine in. restricted areas or third-party property without having to. abide by labor or ecological guidelines, according to. authorities and private mining business. Attacks on official. mines have actually left at least 30 dead in the past two years.

Peru produced 99.7 million grams of gold in 2023, a 2.8%. year-on-year increase. According to the government, small artisanal. mines extract around 40% of that, but small-scale mining groups. put the figure at 50%.

We are here oversleeping the open air and the federal government is. not paying attention to us, stated Nelson Calderón, a 45-year-old. miner from the Andean area of Ayacucho who concerned Lima to. protest. On December 31, REINFO will be canceled and where are. we going to end up?

Pedro Yaranga, an expert focusing on social conflicts. in Peru, said that there are strong contending interests between. Congress and small miners that might escalate.

If this isn't solved, it's going to be a timebomb,. Yaranga stated.

(source: Reuters)