In 2023, satellite monitoring detected the presence of 120 dredgers operating in the Nanay River, confirming the increase in illegal mining in Loreto, Peru's largest Amazon region, over the past two years.
Despite the often isolated efforts of environmental authorities, the Navy and communal self-defense groups, the illegal activities have now spread to 11 rivers in Loreto.
According to fiscal sources, approximately 30 dredgers have been detected near the headwaters of the Nanay River basin so far in 2024. Mining infrastructure has also been registered in the Pintuyacu, Marañón and Napo rivers.
Many Indigenous and peasant communities are under the yoke of illegal miners, and environmental defenders who oppose this crime suffer death threats and live in constant fear. Therefore, specialists tell Nube Roja that the Peruvian State's strategy must be decisive and permanent.
This story was produced with support from the Earth Journalism Network. It was first published in Revista Nube Roja on June 5, 2024. It has been lightly edited for length and clarity.
Banner image: Polluted Loreto river, Peru / Credit: Leandro Amaya.
Leandro Amaya Camacho
