
Peru reinstates full protection of Nazca Lines reserve after controversial cutback
Peru's government has reversed its controversial decision to shrink the protected area surrounding the Nazca Lines, which had faced criticism for opening the area to informal miners.
The country's culture ministry on Sunday nullified last week's resolution that had reinstated the boundary map set in 2004. The switch followed severe backlash after the government approved a 42% reduction in the zone — about 2,400 square kilometers (926 square miles) — and to allow miners to seek formal permits in previously restricted areas.
The original protected zone — spanning 5,600 square kilometers (2,162 square miles) — will remain in effect. The ministry also ordered an update of the site's management plan within 10 days and the formation of a technical panel, which will include government representatives, academics, UNESCO, and civil society figures to define future use and conservation strategies.
The area in question forms part of a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site, home to the Nazca Lines — massive geoglyphs etched into the desert over 1,500 years ago — and one of Peru's most fragile desert ecosystems.
'Thanks to the strong rejection by national and international public opinion, the government revoked the reduction of the area of the Nazca Archaeological Reserve,' Mariano Castro, Peru's former vice minister of the environment, told The Associated Press.
Castro said the government justified its decision by saying it had not previously discussed its decision publicly.
'In other words, it (the government) does not go so far as to admit the measure was wrong, despite evidence of the presence of illegal mining, which seriously endangers and threatens the integrity of the Nazca Lines and petroglyphs,' he said.
The ministry said a new government entity will be created to oversee the site's management, and technical studies will be published to ensure transparency and accountability.
Peruvian environmental lawyer, César Ipenza, who follows the issue closely, welcomes the technical panel, which will include local authorities, but he still has concerns.
'The truth is that the local authority is actually the one that has been calling for the reduction of the boundaries of the Nazca Lines,' Ipenza told the AP. 'There will also be strong pressure from miners for this to go ahead."
Ipenza is concerned that informal mining has been steadily expanding in the area, even though all mining activity is officially banned.
'The government hasn't taken action to remove these miners and as a result, there has been pressure to officially open the area to allow informal and illegal miners to become formalized,' he said.
The AP contacted UNESCO for comment. The organization said it would aim to provide information on Tuesday, as Monday was a public holiday in France, where it is headquartered.
—-
The Associated Press' climate and environmental coverage receives financial support from multiple private foundations. AP is solely responsible for all content. Find AP's standards for working with philanthropies, a list of supporters and funded coverage areas at AP.org.
Hashtags

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


The Independent
3 hours ago
- The Independent
What to know about Bolsonaro's trial now that he has testified over an alleged coup plot
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has finally testified before the country's Supreme Court over an alleged plot to remain in power and overturn the 2022 election result. After Bolsonaro and 33 allies were charged in February with five counts related to a plan to remain in power, a five-Justice panel of Brazil 's top court opened a first trial for eight of them, including the former leader. Judges will hear from 26 other defendants in coming months. The former president has repeatedly denied the allegations and said he is the target of political persecution, but kept a soft tone in his testimony on Tuesday. The case stems from a Jan. 8, 2023 riot, when the Supreme Court, Congress and the Presidential Palace in Brasilia, the capital, were stormed by thousands of Bolsonaro supporters. Police say the uprising — which came after current President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva was sworn in — was an attempt to force military intervention and oust the new president. If convicted for the alleged coup, Bolsonaro could be sentenced to up to 12 years. When combined with the other charges, the accused might face decades behind bars. The case might not be over even after a conviction by the panel, which Bolsonaro can appeal before Brazil's Supreme Court full panel. Here's what is next in the trial: Testimonies The testimonies of the eight defendants is the final stage of the evidence collection phase, but their attorneys are allowed to request additional searches to help their case. Legal experts have said it is unlikely that Justice Alexandre de Moraes, the presiding judge and a member of the panel, will allow it. The evidence phase will be deemed complete once de Moraes decides on all requests. Final allegations Fifteen days after the collection phase is finished, Brazil's attorney-general will be allowed to present his final allegations. The attorneys of the defendants will get the same chance. Each of those allegations are expected to take several hours or even days. This needs to be completed before July, when Brazil's Supreme Court enters its recess until August. As soon as the final allegations stage is completed, the sentencing phase starts. Sentencing A Supreme Court panel of five judges will decide whether Bolsonaro and his allies are guilty or not. The judges who will decide the future of Brazil's former president are de Moraes, Cármen Lúcia, Cristiano Zanin, Flávio Dino and Luiz Fux. All of them had public battles with Bolsonaro. De Moraes was the primary judge in several cases against the far-right leader, while Zanin and Dino joined the court as Lula's appointees. Lúcia and Fux were also targets of Bolsonaro during their respective tenures chairing the electoral court and the Supreme Court. Should Bolsonaro be convicted, these judges will also decide his penalty. What if he's found guilty Bolsonaro would still be able to appeal to Brazil's Supreme Court full panel. Brazil's top prosecutor could do the same if the former president is not convicted on all counts. Before any potential jail time, Bolsonaro's lawyers could further delay the conclusion of the trial by asking for clarifications on the decisions of each judge. Legal experts have said all these steps are likely to be concluded by the end of the year. ___ Follow AP's coverage of Latin America and the Caribbean at


Reuters
7 hours ago
- Reuters
Trump to sign resolutions nixing California's EV rules, sources
June 10 (Reuters) - U.S. President Donald Trump will sign three resolutions on Thursday approved by lawmakers barring California's electric vehicle sales mandates and diesel engine rules, auto industry and House aides told Reuters. Trump is signing resolutions of disapproval under the Congressional Review Act to bar California's landmark plan to end the sale of gasoline-only vehicles by 2035, which has been adopted by 11 other states and representing a third of the U.S. auto market. Trump will sign one resolution to repeal a waiver granted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency under former Democratic President Joe Biden in December, allowing California to mandate that at least 80% of vehicles be electric vehicles by 2035. The White House declined to comment. The White House invited numerous auto industry officials to attend the signing on Thursday, sources said. Trump will also sign a resolution approved by Congress to rescind the EPA's 2023 approval of California's plans to require a rising number of zero-emission heavy-duty trucks, and another resolution on California's low-NOx, or low-nitrogen oxide, regulation for heavy-duty highway and off-road vehicles and engines. The signing is a win for General Motors (GM.N), opens new tab, Toyota (7203.T), opens new tab, auto dealers and other automakers that heavily lobbied against the rules, and a blow to California and environmental groups that say the requirements are essential to ensuring cleaner vehicles and cutting pollution. California announced a plan in 2020 to require that by 2035 at least 80% of new cars sold be electric and up to 20% plug-in hybrid models. California Governor Gavin Newsom has vowed to challenge the repeals in court, saying the action by Congress is illegal and would cost California taxpayers an estimated $45 billion in additional health care costs. Since 1970, California has received more than 100 waivers under the Clean Air Act. The Alliance for Automotive Innovation, representing GM, Toyota, Volkswagen ( opens new tab Hyundai ( opens new tab Stellantis ( opens new tab and others, previously praised the repeal. "The fact is these EV sales mandates were never achievable," the group's CEO, John Bozzella, said. "In reality, meeting the mandates would require diverting finite capital from the EV transition to purchase compliance credits from Tesla." These are the latest actions in recent months taking aim at electric vehicles. A separate bill passed by the U.S. House of Representatives in May would end a $7,500 tax credit for new EVs, impose a new $250 annual fee on EVs for road repair costs and repeal vehicle emissions rules designed to prod automakers into building more EVs. It would also phase out EV battery production tax credits in 2028.


The Guardian
9 hours ago
- The Guardian
Bolsonaro denies coup plot but admits discussing ‘alternative ways' to remain president
Brazil's former president Jair Bolsonaro has denied masterminding a far-right coup plot at his trial in the supreme court, but he admitted to taking part in meetings to discuss 'alternative ways' of staying in power after his defeat in the 2022 election. In just over two hours of questioning, the 70-year-old said that after the electoral court confirmed Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva's election victory, 'we studied other alternatives within the constitution.' Those options included the deployment of military forces and suspension of some civil liberties, Bolsonaro said, but he argued that such discussions could not be considered an attempted coup. 'A coup is something abominable. A coup may even be easy to start. The day after is simply unpredictable and harmful to everyone. Brazil could not go through something like that, and such a hypothesis was never even considered during my government,' he said. Bolsonaro confirmed his allies had considered various options, including the declaration of a state of siege, but did not pursue them because 'there was no climate for it, no opportunity; we didn't even have a minimally solid base to do anything.' The former chiefs of the air force and the army had previously told police that they opposed Bolsonaro's plans during those meetings, although they said the former navy commander pledged to back the rightwing autocrat. With a hoarse voice, the far-right leader used the live broadcast of his questioning to turn much of the hearing into a political platform, defending his 2019-2023 administration and repeatedly criticising Lula's third term. There had been some expectation over his face-off with the case's lead judge, justice Alexandre de Moraes – the former head of the electoral court, whom Bolsonaro has previously called a 'jerk' and a 'scoundrel'. But Bolsonaro apologised to Moraes and two other justices for saying in a meeting – a recording of which was submitted as evidence – that they had allegedly received between $30m and $50m each to rig the election. 'It was a vent, rhetoric I used,' he said. 'So, I apologise. I had no intention of accusing you of any misconduct'. Though he is barred from running for office by an electoral court ruling in a separate case – for spreading lies and attacking the voting system – Bolsonaro joked with Moraes, saying: 'I'd like to invite you to be my running mate in 2026.' Smiling, the justice replied: 'I'll pass.' Bolsonaro was the sixth defendant to be questioned since the trial began on Monday of the eight men considered the 'nucleus' of the attempted coup. The accused include four former Bolsonaro ministers – three of them army generals; the ex-commander of the navy; and the ex-president's former right-hand man, Lt Col Mauro Cid. It is the first time that high-ranking military officers have ever faced trial over an attempted coup d'état in Brazil, a country that endured a bloody dictatorship from 1964 to 1985. Journalist and political analyst Miriam Leitão wrote in her column in O Globo that 'what was most striking … was the casual atmosphere in which a coup d'état was discussed within the Bolsonaro government. 'Everyone knew about it – there were several conversations, meetings in function rooms, inside the presidential palace and at the top of the military hierarchy,' she wrote. The first to testify was Bolsonaro's former aide-de-camp, Lt Col Mauro Cid, who signed a plea bargain and whose testimony, alongside evidence gathered by the federal police, forms the basis for the prosecution's case. He reaffirmed that Bolsonaro edited a draft decree that provided for the arrest of several authorities, including members of Congress and supreme court justices, and the creation of a commission to organise new elections. 'He [Bolsonaro] shortened the document, removing the authorities' arrests. Only you would be imprisoned,' Lt Col Cid told Moraes. He also said that his former boss attempted unsuccessfully to find some kind of 'fraud' in the electronic voting system, hoping to 'convince the armed forces to do something'. Once the defendants' testimony concludes, the prosecution and defence will have five days to request further inquiries to gather new evidence, which the rapporteur, Moraes, may accept or reject. After that come the final arguments and, ultimately, the trial verdict, which is expected in the second half of the year.