Latest news with #REINFO
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Peru orders mining operations restart in violence-hit north
LIMA (Reuters) -Peru's government has restored formal mining operations in northern parts of the country that were affected by violence, Defense Minister Walter Astudillo said on Wednesday. Last month, President Dina Boluarte suspended local mining operations after 13 gold mine workers in the northern district of Pataz were kidnapped and killed by illegal miners. Peru is the world's third-largest copper producer and most of its deposits of the key red metal are located in southern parts of the Andean nation, while gold and silver are mined further to the north. Astudillo said the decision to resume operations followed discussions with formal mining companies and Pataz authorities, noting the sector's importance to the local economy. "There was a clamor from the population for mining activities to be carried out," he said at a press conference following a cabinet meeting. The minister also said the government had extended the state of emergency in Pataz for another 60 days, allowing the armed forces to take control of the area. Mining operations will resume for companies and artisanal or small-scale miners with valid permits under the REINFO program, which allows temporary activity while operations are formalized. Activities will be permitted from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, he added.
Straits Times
2 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Peru orders mining operations restart in violence-hit north
FILE PHOTO: Mourners attend the funeral procession for one of the mine workers from a small mine linked to gold mining company Poderosa who was kidnapped and killed by illegal miners, in Trujillo, Peru May 6, 2025. REUTERS/Sebastian Castaneda/File Photo LIMA - Peru's government has restored formal mining operations in northern parts of the country that were affected by violence, Defense Minister Walter Astudillo said on Wednesday. Last month, President Dina Boluarte suspended local mining operations after 13 gold mine workers in the northern district of Pataz were kidnapped and killed by illegal miners. Peru is the world's third-largest copper producer and most of its deposits of the key red metal are located in southern parts of the Andean nation, while gold and silver are mined further to the north. Astudillo said the decision to resume operations followed discussions with formal mining companies and Pataz authorities, noting the sector's importance to the local economy. "There was a clamor from the population for mining activities to be carried out," he said at a press conference following a cabinet meeting. The minister also said the government had extended the state of emergency in Pataz for another 60 days, allowing the armed forces to take control of the area. Mining operations will resume for companies and artisanal or small-scale miners with valid permits under the REINFO program, which allows temporary activity while operations are formalized. Activities will be permitted from 5 a.m. to 10 p.m. local time, he added. REUTERS Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Peru's Nazca Lines face mining threat after protected area slashed
LIMA (Reuters) -Peru's government has significantly reduced the protected area around its famed Nazca Lines, a move critics and archaeologists fear could leave the ancient geoglyphs vulnerable to hundreds of nearby informal mining operations. Peru's Culture Ministry last week slashed the protected zone from 5,600 to 3,200 square kilometers, attributing the move to topographical and archaeological studies that more precisely demarcated areas with "real patrimonial value." The Nazca Lines, located about 400 km (250 miles) south of Lima, are over 800 giant desert etchings of animals, plants and geometric figures created more than 1,500 years ago. UNESCO declared them a World Heritage site in According to data from the Energy and Mines ministry, 362 small-scale gold miners operate in the Nazca district as part of a program to regularize their status. Authorities have previously conducted operations against illegal mining in the area. "The main threats to the Nazca Lines are informal mining operations in the surroundings and even within the protected area," Pieter Van Dalen, head of Peru's archaeologists' association, told Reuters. He called the reduction "very regrettable," challenging the justification that the original area was too large to control. With gold prices near record highs, police and industry sources allege that the government program to regularize small-scale mining, known as REINFO, is rife with irregularities and is often exploited by illegal miners, sometimes in collusion with criminal gangs. The REINFO program is set to expire at the end of this year, with Congress and the administration scrambling to work on a replacement scheme which closes operating loopholes. Small-scale miners had previously protested ahead of an earlier deadline, arguing they would have little time to regularize their activities. The government estimates illegal mining in Peru generates more than $3 billion annually, surpassing drug trafficking revenue. Energy and Mines Minister Jorge Montero acknowledged on Tuesday that small-scale miners operate in Nazca. He said the government is "evaluating how this (reduction) impacts the status of small-scale and artisanal mining working in the zone that was formerly part of Nazca's (protected area) and now is not." Peru's gold exports amounted to $15.5 billion in 2024, up from $11 billion the prior year. Around 40% of Peru's gold exports are estimated to come from illegal sources, according to industry data and Peru's financial regulator.
Reuters
2 days ago
- Business
- Reuters
Peru's Nazca Lines face mining threat after protected area slashed
LIMA, June 4 (Reuters) - Peru's government has significantly reduced the protected area around its famed Nazca Lines, a move critics and archaeologists fear could leave the ancient geoglyphs vulnerable to hundreds of nearby informal mining operations. Peru's Culture Ministry last week slashed the protected zone from 5,600 to 3,200 square kilometers, attributing the move to topographical and archaeological studies that more precisely demarcated areas with "real patrimonial value." The Nazca Lines, located about 400 km (250 miles) south of Lima, are over 800 giant desert etchings of animals, plants and geometric figures created more than 1,500 years ago. UNESCO declared them a World Heritage site in According to data from the Energy and Mines ministry, 362 small-scale gold miners operate in the Nazca district as part of a program to regularize their status. Authorities have previously conducted operations against illegal mining in the area. "The main threats to the Nazca Lines are informal mining operations in the surroundings and even within the protected area," Pieter Van Dalen, head of Peru's archaeologists' association, told Reuters. He called the reduction "very regrettable," challenging the justification that the original area was too large to control. With gold prices near record highs, police and industry sources allege that the government program to regularize small-scale mining, known as REINFO, is rife with irregularities and is often exploited by illegal miners, sometimes in collusion with criminal gangs. The REINFO program is set to expire at the end of this year, with Congress and the administration scrambling to work on a replacement scheme which closes operating loopholes. Small-scale miners had previously protested ahead of an earlier deadline, arguing they would have little time to regularize their activities. The government estimates illegal mining in Peru generates more than $3 billion annually, surpassing drug trafficking revenue. Energy and Mines Minister Jorge Montero acknowledged on Tuesday that small-scale miners operate in Nazca. He said the government is "evaluating how this (reduction) impacts the status of small-scale and artisanal mining working in the zone that was formerly part of Nazca's (protected area) and now is not." Peru's gold exports amounted to $15.5 billion in 2024, up from $11 billion the prior year. Around 40% of Peru's gold exports are estimated to come from illegal sources, according to industry data and Peru's financial regulator.
The Star
2 days ago
- Business
- The Star
Peru's Nazca Lines face mining threat after protected area slashed
LIMA (Reuters) -Peru's government has significantly reduced the protected area around its famed Nazca Lines, a move critics and archaeologists fear could leave the ancient geoglyphs vulnerable to hundreds of nearby informal mining operations. Peru's Culture Ministry last week slashed the protected zone from 5,600 to 3,200 square kilometers, attributing the move to topographical and archaeological studies that more precisely demarcated areas with "real patrimonial value." The Nazca Lines, located about 400 km (250 miles) south of Lima, are over 800 giant desert etchings of animals, plants and geometric figures created more than 1,500 years ago. UNESCO declared them a World Heritage site in According to data from the Energy and Mines ministry, 362 small-scale gold miners operate in the Nazca district as part of a program to regularize their status. Authorities have previously conducted operations against illegal mining in the area. "The main threats to the Nazca Lines are informal mining operations in the surroundings and even within the protected area," Pieter Van Dalen, head of Peru's archaeologists' association, told Reuters. He called the reduction "very regrettable," challenging the justification that the original area was too large to control. With gold prices near record highs, police and industry sources allege that the government program to regularize small-scale mining, known as REINFO, is rife with irregularities and is often exploited by illegal miners, sometimes in collusion with criminal gangs. The REINFO program is set to expire at the end of this year, with Congress and the administration scrambling to work on a replacement scheme which closes operating loopholes. Small-scale miners had previously protested ahead of an earlier deadline, arguing they would have little time to regularize their activities. The government estimates illegal mining in Peru generates more than $3 billion annually, surpassing drug trafficking revenue. Energy and Mines Minister Jorge Montero acknowledged on Tuesday that small-scale miners operate in Nazca. He said the government is "evaluating how this (reduction) impacts the status of small-scale and artisanal mining working in the zone that was formerly part of Nazca's (protected area) and now is not." Peru's gold exports amounted to $15.5 billion in 2024, up from $11 billion the prior year. Around 40% of Peru's gold exports are estimated to come from illegal sources, according to industry data and Peru's financial regulator. (Reporting by Marco Aquino; Editing by Aurora Ellis)
