Latest News

Peru Congress eliminates mining minister as little miners snarl streets

Peru's Congress got rid of Energy and Mines minister Romulo Mucho from his post on Tuesday as protesters from smallscale miners in the Andean nation camped out at the legislature's building in the capital and intermittently halted traffic throughout the south.

Peruvian small-scale miners - a number of whom do not run with correct licenses - have actually been requiring a two-year extension of a program that allows them to run momentarily.

Authorities state the program, meant to regularize the artisanal miners, has triggered prohibited mining to multiply.

In Congress, legislators argued that Mucho had revealed a lack of interest and/or ability to solve the problem.

President Dina Boluarte must now accept Congress' decision within 72 hours and appoint a brand-new energy and mines minister, an essential position worldwide's third-largest copper manufacturer and a sector key to the local economy.

There was no immediate comment from Mucho or Boluarte's. office.

Since last week, hundreds of small miners have actually set up. camp in front of Congress, oversleeping camping tents, to oppose the. scheduled end of the program that had actually enabled them to operate,. called REINFO. Throughout the south, other protesters set up. obstructions.

REINFO is presently set to end on Dec. 31 and Mucho's. office last week sent a costs to Congress to set a six-month. duration after that date for all miners to regularize their. activities. Artisanal miners were still unhappy with the move,. arguing it was insufficient time to make their operations. genuine.

REINFO was first created more than a decade ago to formalize. small mining, and has actually been consistently extended throughout. several administrations ever since.

However, the government declares that artisanal miners have. abused the plan by mining in restricted areas or on land owned. by 3rd parties.

Unlawful mining in Peru is incredibly rewarding. In the very first. 10 months of this year, it brought in $1.1 billion, according to. data from the regional financial regulator. That would make it even. more rewarding than drug trafficking, the regulator claims.

Small miners are responsible for about 40% of Peru's. gold production, according to federal government information. Peru produced. 99.7 million grams of gold in 2023, a 2.8% year-on-year increase.

(source: Reuters)