Not a bad article and pictures at the Washington Post. Here’s the article and a quick excerpt:
“After years of ignoring the frantic gold rush fouling the Amazon forests of southeastern Peru’s Madre de Dios region, the government has launched a no-mercy campaign to crush it.”
Otto has lamented the environmental damage done by illegal mining in Peru for years. It remains to be seen if Peru’s weak institutions and government will persevere in this crackdown.
One small thing you can do is not buy any gold or silver when you visit Peru. The jewelry stores here won’t be able to show procedence of gold, they’ll just lie or make something up. View my Twitter conversation with Otto about my dilemma in having to buy rings for a friend’s upcoming wedding.
Life in Peru 