Andean Court hears unprecedented case against Peru over illegal mining

The Andean Court of Justice, the highest court of the Andean Community trade bloc (Bolivia, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru), admitted on July 15 a landmark lawsuit against Peru alleging that the country's extensions of the REINFO mining formalisation programme breach regional obligations to combat illegal gold mining. The case was filed by an Indigenous and rural communities organization from the Nanay River basin and seven local residents, who argue that the extensions have allowed illegal mining to continue, causing deforestation, mercury‑polluted rivers and violence against Indigenous peoples.

Peru was given 40 calendar days to respond after the court notified the parties on July 20. Plaintiffs have also asked the court to consider precautionary measures, including the temporary suspension of REINFO while the case proceeds. The Peruvian government contends the extensions are necessary because thousands of small‑scale miners have yet to complete the formalisation process. The Andean Community’s secretariat previously concluded in 2025 that Peru had failed to strengthen anti‑mining measures and that the REINFO extensions were incompatible with its legal obligations.