Peru's Operation Mercury stopped most illegal gold mining in one

Artisanal and small-scale gold mining is a lifeline for many who live in Madre de Dios, a region in southeastern Peru, where poverty is high and jobs are scarce. But the economic development in this part of the basin comes at a cost, as it causes deforestation, build up of sediment in rivers, and mercury contamination in nearby watersheds, threatening public health, Indigenous peoples, and the future of the biodiversity hotspot. And much of the mining activity is unauthorized.

Illegal gold mining 'mafias' threaten life in an Ecuadorian river

Gold mining - Wikipedia

Gold rush another blight to ailing jungle

Mercurio 2019: Peru's latest effort to establish control in Madre

Peru cracks down on illegal gold mining - SWI

Operation Mercury' Curbed Illegal Gold Mining in Peru

Peru Launches 'Sustained' Crack-down on Illegal Mining in

In a biodiversity haven, mining drives highest ever recorded

From Bolivia to the Tapajós: mercury trafficking for wildcat