[REVISION HISTORY]

Amazon gold mining and mercury crisis

Updated 1 time since CLSTR started tracking revisions of this situation.

What changed

2026-10-03 15:39 UTC → 2026-10-03 18:36 UTC · added ~~removed~~

A scientific delegation representing Colombia, Brazil, Peru, and Bolivia has presented evidence to Pope Leo XIV regarding the environmental and health crises caused by gold mining in the Amazon. The researchers submitted a document titled “Llamamiento a la Santa Sede por la Protección de la Amazonía: Minería del oro y mercurio,” which details how mercury used in extraction contaminates air, soil, and water. The data highlights significant ecological and human costs, including the loss of approximately 140,000 hectares of forest in Peru and the spread of mercury pollution through the Madre de Dios, Beni, and Madeira river basins. Experts report that over 900 indigenous and riverside communities in Brazil, Bolivia, and Peru are currently exposed to or at risk of mercury poisoning, which threatens neurological development. In response to the crisis, scientists have requested the Pope’s intercession to secure urgent commitments for regional protection. There have also been suggestions to formulate a “Declaration of Pucallpa” during the Pope’s planned visit to the Peruvian Amazon in November. Recent data from the Center for Scientific Innovation in the Amazon (CINCIA) further specifies that 139,169 hectares of forest associated with gold mining were lost in Peru alone by 2025. Additionally, investigations indicate that more than 1,500 illegal mining dredges have been documented in the Loreto region since 2017. The delegation has called for an international response and increased social responsibility throughout the gold supply chain, from extraction to commercialization.

Versions

Only revisions since CLSTR began indexing content versions appear here. Select a version to see what changed compared to the one before it.