Killing of 13 Miners Highlights Peru's Security Risks

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Written by Amir Richani for Industrial Info Resources (Sugar Land, Texas)--The kidnapping and assassination of 13 miners in Pataz, La Libertad province, has shocked Peru. The bodies were found inside a gold mine, tortured and executed, after the miners were kidnapped in late April. Peru has suspended mining operations in the area.

The miners were employed by R&R (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania), an artisanal mining firm that works with Minera Poderosa, a key gold miner in the area. Subscribers to Industrial Info's Global Market Intelligence (GMI) Metals & Minerals Plant Database can learn more from a detailed plant profile.

As a result of the incident, the government has declared a curfew and a 30-day suspension of mining activities in the area.

"A curfew has been declared throughout the Pataz district from 6 pm to 6 am," said Peruvian President Dina Boluarte. "The Armed Forces will take full control of the La Poderosa mining area."

However, the fragile security situation of Pataz and Peru is nothing new. In March, Minera Poderosa denounced the sabotage and the explosion of a high-tension tower that supplies its operation, as well as the assassination of two workers and other 10 injured following attacks.

By January 2025, when Minera Poderosa reported another attack on its transmission lines, the mining company had denounced a total of 14 sabotages to its infrastructure since 2020, as well as the death of 18 collaborators of the company.

Peru is one of the world's largest mining countries, one of the top three copper producers, and a significant supplier of other minerals. As industry developed, artisanal and illegal mining operations have increased, along with crime and violence.

Illegal mining operations, especially in gold extraction, represent a key challenge for the government. Boluarte is trying to formalize such activity in the sector, although she has faced popular backlash against the decision.

Last year, Peru requested the formalization and registration of illegal mining operations through the Comprehensive Mining Formalization Registry (Reinfo), a decision that was opposed by several groups and led to protests across the country. Between 2019 and 2023, only 2.31% of the miners were formalized by the system.

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