A gripping new report from U.S. labor-rights group Verite tells those horror stories and others in an 18-month survey conducted in Peru's mining regions.
The country is one of the world's top producers of gold, but Verite's
research shows more than 20 percent of the precious metal is mined
illegally, under slave conditions, by children and others who receive no
pay........
Besides sub-standard pay, or no pay at all, miners also face myriad
health issues in the isolated jungle mines including industrial
accidents that cause severe injuries, malaria and mercury poisoning.
Liquid mercury is used during mining operations because it adheres to
gold in chunks of ore, making it easy to spot.
Mercury also is a highly dangerous, toxic chemical.
No comments:
Post a Comment