A report by the Global Initiative Against Transnational Organized Crime (GIATOC) stated that gold mining is being increasingly taken over by organized crime groups and that 28% of the nation’s gold comes from illegal sources. This percentage accounted for $1 billion in just 9 months of 2014.
Thirty tons of mercury are dumped in rivers across Peru every year. Within the Madre de Dios province alone 40% of people across 97 villages were found to have dangerous levels of mercury in their bodies. Miners use mercury because it binds with gold to form amalgam which is easier to extract.
Local communities are especially vulnerable due to their reliance on rivers for food and water. Mercury poisoning can cause chronic headaches, kidney damage and permanent brain damage in children.
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