Thirteen individuals working in an artisanal mining operation with Peruvian company La Poderosa, in Pataz Province located in northern Peru, were found dead in an underground shaft, as stated by President Dina Boluarte on Monday. The region has experienced rising conflict over access to ore since the gold price has hit record highs, leading to a surge in small-scale mining and violent disputes over concessions at mines with high levels of unauthorized activity.
The bodies were discovered on Sunday, and reports suggest the miners, who were working for an unofficial operation contracted by La Poderosa, were blindfolded, naked, and executed. A video circulates on social media which appears to show the killing of the miners, though the veracity of this video remains unverified by authorities.
La Poderosa alleged in a statement that armed criminals attacked the mining site and kidnapped the workers on April 26. The company added that two persons suspected of involvement in the killings were arrested in Pataz with weapons. The owner of the artisanal mining operation, Segundo Nicolás Cueva Rojas, did not respond to requests for comment.
Abroad, the number of people killing
Prior to the discovery of the bodies, relatives of the missing miners complained to local media that the authorities were not sufficiently investigating the disappearance. Abraham Domínguez, whose son Deyter was among the victims, called for justice and highlighted his son’s aspirations for a better life. Domínguez also pointed out that the bodies were found by local self-defense groups called “ronderos” instead of the police.
Peru ranks second among Latin American countries in gold production, trailing only Mexico, and is a top global producer alongside Indonesia. The country struggles to curtail unlawful mining, especially within the Amazon rainforest, where illicit operations lead to environmental degradation and mercury pollution.
La Poderosa criticized lawmakers for extending the deadline for the legalization of informal mining operations and the government for not stripping unauthorized miners from its approved list. The company stated that Pataz Province has become a lawless zone with rampant violence and demanded a more forceful police presence to combat the criminal activity within the mining sector.
In December 2023, a mining ambush resulted in the deaths of nine people, and in October of the previous year, 16 bodies were found in a single mining shaft. Prior to the latest massacre, police in Pataz Province had also freed 50 workers from a Caravelí mining company who were taken hostage, with eight individuals injured in the ensuing shootout with armed men.
In response to the killings, President Boluarte has suspended mining in the Pataz area for 30 days and called for the military to restore order, instituting a nighttime curfew in the area. The mayor of Pataz Province, Aldo Carlos Mariño, criticized the state of emergency in effect for failing to combat the violence and urged the government to improve intelligence operations to target the perpetrators. The mayor described Pataz as being “covered in blood” and underscored the province’s contribution to Peru’s wealth through mining.
Source: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/05/world/americas/peru-gold-miners-killed-boluarte.html
