Amazonia – Illegal mining advances in the Peruvian Amazon
In the province of Condorcanqui in the Amazon Region of Peru, the natural habitat of the Awajún and Wampis indigenous peoples, various illegal economic activities are taking place. One of the most worrisome is illegal mining, as it endangers an ecologically sensitive territory. Illegal mining is found primarily in the El Cenepa district, although it can also be found in the Río Santiago district.
Illegal mining is being promoted by non-native actors, including foreigners who offer part of the profits from this activity to native communities in exchange for allowing them to extract mineral resources from their lands. Several communities enter this illicit business because they lack other economic opportunities. It is worth mentioning that Condorcanqui is one of the poorest provinces in the country; in the Human Development Index it ranks 192nd out of 195 provinces in Peru (UNDP Report, 2019).
Illegal mining also endangers the culture of indigenous peoples as it promotes development models that contradict the identity that the indigenous citizen forges with the forest. These new models permeate especially in the minds of young people, a key population group to ensure the future of the Amazon.
For these reasons, and in response to the concerns and requests of defenders of the human rights of indigenous peoples, the Agricultural Service for Research and Economic Promotion (SAIPE) has been working in different ways to counteract illegal mining. The SAIPE of the SEPSI Network, promotes alternative productive projects such as beekeeping; strengthens the indigenous identity of young people through its School of Leaders; in addition, promotes advocacy actions with the support of key allies to request the Peruvian State to eradicate illegal mining and in parallel invest in productive projects that serve as alternatives for the sustainable development of native communities.
Source: Iglesias y Mineria
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