Besides being a human labor nightmare, gold mining is also
disastrous for the environment: Mining has caused vast stretches of the
Amazon to be cut down, and mercury used in mining has poisoned
waterways and fish, which eventually makes its way back into the human
population living there.
The most recent strike isn't the first time gold miners
have tried to strike to improve conditions: Last year, three people died
in demonstrations that turned violent. Luis Otsuka Salazar, president
of the Madre de Dios Mining Federation, told El Comercio that progress
has been slower than they'd hoped: "It's been 19 months and there hasn't
been a single miner legalized by the government, so we're hoping for
more dialogue."
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