Peruvians head to the polls Sunday to elect a new president and Congress, but illegal mining — a major driver of deforestation and mercury pollution — has received little attention on the campaign trail, even as it spreads deeper into the Amazon and Indigenous territories.
Experts warn the gap reflects a broader failure to confront what has become the country’s largest illicit economy, with growing impacts on the environment, public health, and Indigenous communities.
According to projections by the Peruvian Institute of Economics, illegal mining generated more than $11.5 billion in 2025 and over 100 tons of gold exports — rivaling the legitimate business sector and surpassing drug trafficking.
Some candidates, including former ministers and technocratic candidates such as Jorge Nieto and Alfonso López Chau, are proposing to include measures such as gold traceability, financial intelligence, and protections for environmental defenders; but these remain fragmented efforts falling short of a comprehensive strategy.
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