Peru expels most illegal miners from protected Amazonian areas

The Peruvian government expelled 95% of illegal miners from protected natural areas and buffer zones in the La Pampa region of Madre de Dios.

Environment Minister Vladimiro Huaroc stated that these results came from joint operations involving the National Police of Peru, the Army, and the Public Ministry. The government recovered 7 protected natural areas that were occupied at the start of the current administration. Authorities plan to continue these interventions to eliminate illegal mining entirely.

This effort is part of a national strategy involving environmental, judicial, police, and military agencies to protect the Peruvian Amazon from activities that damage forests and water sources. Public Ministry prosecutor Tomás Gálvez warned that these operations remain insufficient unless the state maintains a permanent presence in the recovered areas. He noted that the high profitability of illegal mining allows operators to quickly replace motors and dredges destroyed during police raids.

The ministry expects to increase the scale of these operations next year to further reduce the impact of illegal mining.