Peru's Amazon Reserve Under Siege as Military Cracks Down on Illegal Gold Mining
Peru's military launched Operation Mercury 2, a crackdown on illegal gold mining in the Amazon reserve. The operation targeted Tambopata National Park, which is home to a rich rainforest and visited by around 40,000 tourists per year.
The military used show of force to dislodge miners from the area, leaving behind women and children who were escorted off the premises for questioning. All those questioned were eventually released and taken back to the nearest town, Puerto Maldonado.
Gold mining has ravaged large parts of the Amazon, driven by the global rise in gold prices. Since Operation Mercury 1 in 2019, the price of gold has more than tripled, from an average of $1,394 per ounce to around $4,395 today.
The operation aims to prevent a resurgence of mining in the area, which had previously been temporarily effective but eventually grew back. The Peruvian government and international conservation group Global Conservation are working together on Operation Mercury 2, partly funded by the latter.