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Bogota, Colombia (AP) – Swadeshi and rural communities on Friday filed a complaint with the Nanay River in Northern Amazon, Peru, alleging that the government was accused of failing to stop illegal gold mining which is contaminating their water and food with toxic mercury.
The complaint was submitted to the Secretariat General of the Andean community in the country’s capital Lima, which includes Peru, Ecuador, Columbia and Bolivia. Communities argue that Peru has violated a binding regional policy adopted in 2012 to combat illegal mining.
A delegation of 10 Amazon leaders and residents of Peru visited Lima for a complaint.
“Peru is not fulfilling its obligations, and it has allowed to expand illegal mining, threatening the lives and rights of the Amazonian communities,” said Seser Ipenza, an environmental lawyer, said, who brought forward the case from the communities.
The Peru government did not immediately respond to the request of the comment.
Mercury is widely used in the withdrawal of gold, polluting the fish – a diet staple – and entering the food chain in the surrounding areas of Nanay and Pintuyaku rivers.
“Our more than 80% of our population is contaminated with mercury in the blood,” Jhunni Huyamasari Yuyima said, Equito represents indigenous people and leads a local alliance of 33 communities in the Nana Basin. “Fish is also poisoned in our rivers and lakes.”
HuayMacari described children with developmental delayed, chronic joint pain, skin conditions and inhabitants with acute headaches – many symptoms now associate with mercury risk for a long time.
The Center for Amazonian Scientific Innovation, or a recent study in Cincia, and the Frankfurt Zoological Society found dangerously high levels of mercury in hair samples taken from 273 inhabitants in six river communities in the region.
About 79% of the participants had mercury levels of 2.2 mg per kg above the security limit of the World Health Organization.
The average level of children up to the age of 4 was the highest level – about six times the recommended limit. The fish of the same region elevated mercury concentrations, especially in non -vegetarian species that are usually eaten.
“These are not separate cases. It’s widespread performance,” Ipenza said. “And we are talking about those who depend on the fish as their primary protein source, and on the Nana River for drinking water – including the city of Equitos.”
HuayMacari says that it hurts to think that after fighting illegal mining for more than 20 years, “The state still doesn’t listen to us.”
Citing an example of Madrey Day Dies in the southern region of Peru, he said, “The mercury is now in our body.
Researchers and environmental groups have now warned that Loreto’s spread expansion – where Equitos is the regional capital and Nana’s house – is becoming a new frontier.
A 2023 report to monitor the Andian Amazon Project also increased the harvesting and mining activity of forests crawling in Nana Hedwatters in preserved areas.
CINCIA studies, one of the first to systematically assess the mercury risk in the Loreto communities, found that most fish samples were no more than international safety boundaries, fish consumption amount and frequency also meant that medium levels of contamination were also a serious risk.
Peru has the highest per capita fish consumption in Loreto, in which some families eat fish two to three times daily on the banks of the river.
Beyond toxic risk, community is also reporting serious social and security effects, including arrival of armed groups, sexual abuse in illegal labor and mining camps. Local leaders say that environmental guards have been threatened and communal governance structures have weakened.
“About 80% of people are foreigners, and are working in more than 60 (gold mining) drages area,” said Huyamasari of Ecito.
In one of his communities, a Colombian flag was raised, he said. “It no longer looks like Peru.”
HuayMacari said that local police and Navy posts lack a lack of employees, equipment and logical support to face the spread of illegal mining.
“They are trying, but they do not have equipment to fight this plague of illegal mining,” he said.
The Andean Policy Member for fighting illegal mining is forced to coordinate regional and curb criminal activities related to illegal extraction. The complaint asks the regional body to formally declare Peru in a violation and release corrective recommendations.
While the Andean community cannot implement restrictions, its rulers are binding under the regional law, and a formal declaration can put Peru to adopt corrective measures or to face reputed and diplomatic consequences.
IPenza stated that it is not just about Peru and it requires widespread “action.”
“The cross boundaries of mercury pollution and illegal gold – and damage is not only environmental. It is deeply human,” he said.
The communities behind the complaint say they are not demanding financial compensation, but their rights have been left out of their areas, safety of their areas, and accountability from a state, what they say.
The Andian community has not yet commented on the case, which may set a regional example for governments to hold the border environmental loss.
“We, 33 communities of this basin, are ready to raise our voices simultaneously and say: enough!” HuayMacari said. “We call the government to work immediately.”
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