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[INTERNATIONAL] · Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Peru, Vatican City · 5 sources

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Part of situation: Amazon gold mining and mercury crisis (2 clusters)

Amazon scientists present mercury pollution report to Pope Leo XIV

mercury contamination Amazon rainforest illegal gold mining indigenous rights Vatican

A scientific delegation representing Bolivia, Colombia, Peru, and Brazil met with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican to present a report titled ‘Llamamiento a la Santa Sede por la Protección de la Amazonía’. The document highlights the severe environmental and health crises caused by mercury contamination linked to illegal gold mining in the Amazon basin.

Researchers emphasized that mercury pollution is a transboundary issue affecting the health of indigenous populations. Investigations by Mongabay Latam indicate that over 900 indigenous and riverside communities are currently exposed or at risk within the Madre de Dios, Beni, and Madeira river basins. The delegation called for an international response and greater social responsibility across the gold supply chain, from extraction to commercialization.

Data presented by the Center for Scientific Innovation in the Amazon (CINCIA) reveals significant ecological damage, noting that 139,169 hectares of forest associated with gold mining have been lost in Peru alone by 2025. In the Loreto region, more than 1,500 illegal mining dredges have been documented since 2017.

Entities

Amazon · Amazon rainforest · CINCIA · Jesús Olivero-Verbel · Pope Leo XIV · University of Cartagena

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

  • [○ 1 SOURCE] The University of Cartagena advocates for greater social responsibility throughout the gold value chain. revistametro.co
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] over 900 indigenous and riverside communities are at risk from mercury contamination in the Madre de Dios, Beni, and Madeira river basins. es.mongabay.com
  • [● 3 SOURCES] delivered a report to Pope Leo XIV regarding mercury contamination in the Amazon. anabolivia.org · revistametro.co · www.tn23.tv
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] 139,169 hectares of forest associated with gold extraction have been lost in Peru as of 2025. www.tn23.tv
  • [○ 1 SOURCE] More than 1,500 dredges used for illegal mining have been recorded in the Loreto region since 2017. www.tn23.tv

Sources

Científicos de la región entregan al Papa León XIV un «Llamamiento para proteger la Amazonía de los efectos del mercurio» [anabolivia.org]
Hito en la defensa ambiental: El mercurio de la minería del oro llega hasta el Vaticano [lavozdetarija.com]
Unicartagena presenta al papa León XIV su ‘Llamamiento a la Santa Sede por la Protección de la Amazonía’ [revistametro.co]
Expertos entregan al papa León XIV información sobre los efectos de la minería ilegal en la Amazonía [www.tn23.tv]
La contaminación por mercurio causada por minería ilegal llega hasta el papa León XIV: expertos y legisladores piden medidas para proteger la Amazonía | Coyuntura ambiental [es.mongabay.com]