Illegal mining threatens Peru's Bahuaja Sonene National Park

Illegal and informal mining activities are increasingly threatening protected areas in Peru, specifically targeting the buffer zones of the Bahuaja Sonene National Park between the Puno and Madre de Dios regions. According to data from Amazon Mining Watch, approximately 5,680 hectares of the park and its buffer zone have been affected by mining through the second quarter of 2026. While extraction within the protected area was reportedly halted in 2023, pressure continues to mount in surrounding rivers and buffer zones due to rising international gold prices.

In response to these activities, the National Police of Peru (PNP) has conducted operations in the Madre de Dios and Cajamarca regions. In Madre de Dios, authorities intercepted equipment and assets in the Inambari district, including motors, camps, and mining ponds, valued at over S/10.9 million. In Cajamarca, police also dismantled an illegal mine in the Cospán district. The PNP continues to conduct intelligence and intervention operations to identify those responsible for these environmental crimes.