[CLSTR]
API
< Back to all clusters
[HEALTH] · Peru · 4 sources

started · updated

Part of situation: Ongoing crackdown on gangs, extortion, and illegal mining (58 clusters)

Madre de Dios mercury contamination affects indigenous communities

mercury poisoning illegal gold mining indigenous communities Madre de Dios Amazon rainforest

Indigenous communities in the Madre de Dios region of Peru are facing severe mercury contamination due to illegal gold mining. The heavy metal is being released into rivers upstream, where it enters the food chain through fish, which are a primary dietary staple for local populations.

In the Shintuya community, which is home to the Harakbut, Yine, and Matsigenka ethnic groups, residents have reported health issues, including children experiencing fainting spells. Medical tests have confirmed the presence of mercury in the blood of some children and pregnant women.

The contamination is closely linked to the expansion of gold mining near the Amarakaeri Communal Reserve. Between 2021 and 2023, mining activities destroyed approximately 1,800 hectares of land in the three communities surrounding the protected area. Some local residents noted that the economic pressures of the pandemic have driven more people toward participating in mining activities to survive.

Entities

Amarakaeri Communal Reserve · Harakbut · Madre de Dios · Shintuya · Yine

Claims

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

Sources

Mercurio en la sangre: la huella tóxica en niños y gestantes de Madre de Dios - Radio Yaraví Arequipa [radioyaravi.org.pe]
Mercurio en la sangre: la huella tóxica en niños y gestantes de Madre de Dios [prensachalaca.com]
Mercurio en la sangre: la huella tóxica en niños y gestantes de Madre de Dios [investiga.pe]
Mercurio en la sangre: la huella tóxica en niños y gestantes [jornada.com.pe]