Last month, Peru launched Operation Mercurio 2019 in La Pampa, the biggest raid on illegal gold mining in Peruvian history. “By air, land and river, hundreds of army commandos and more than 1,200 police officers swooped on La Pampa,” The Guardian wrote.
This city is located along a jungle highway where every enters at their own risk. “This modern-day gold-rush town, home to about 25,000 people, was both a hub for organized crime and people trafficking and a gateway into a treeless, lunar landscape pocked with toxic pools created by illegal gold mining, stretching far into one of the Amazon’s most treasured reserves,” The Guardian said.
José Huerta, Peru’s defense Minister said that they would not quit Operation Mercurio 2019 until they saw the area green again, like it used to be. About 6,000 miners were expelled, dozens of suspected criminals were captured and more than 50 trafficked women were rescued in this operation, which was planned for months in advance.
