Little of the trading taking place here is legal, following Peruvian legislation or any number of international environmental agreements such as the Minamata Convention on Mercury, and associated crime is rife in this town.
Asking too many questions about the source of gold purchased here is therefore not well received.
“If others find out that you are here and asking questions, they will lynch you,” a trader warns.
From alpaca herders to open-pit miners
Some 150 kilometres away in Ananea, at the altitude of 4,700 metres, much of the mountainous landscape has been stripped bare, excavated right across the vast formerly grassy highlands in the scramble for the valuable mineral.
No comments:
Post a Comment