Piura regional government urged to prioritize crackdown on informal mining

Mining engineering professor Eusebio Cruz Ruiz of Universidad César Vallejo says informal and illegal mining in the Piura region must become a top priority for the incoming regional administration. He warns that this activity generates no royalties or taxes for the state, causes environmental damage, endangers workers and concentrates economic benefits in a small group.

Cruz Ruiz recommends simplifying and digitising the formalisation process, offering training and clear information to small‑scale miners, and strengthening supervisory capacity with better equipment, technology and resources, especially in remote areas. He also calls for greater citizen participation in monitoring mining activities. He notes that major projects in Tambogrande, Ayabaca, Paita and Sechura will depend on sustained dialogue with communities and effective management to create jobs and boost the regional economy.