Peru's Gold Mine Kidnapping: 13 Miners Executed by Criminal Gang

Miners were abducted by a criminal gang aiming to control a gold mine owned by Poderosa, highlighting rising violence and illegal activity in the region.

In a shocking development, thirteen miners have been found dead inside a gold mine in Peru after being kidnapped days earlier. The miners were employed at a site owned by the Peruvian company Poderosa, situated in Pataz province, north of Lima. They were dispatched to confront individuals involved in unauthorized mining operations when a criminal gang abducted them, attempting to seize control of the mine. The captors held the miners captive in a mine shaft for over a week, sending menacing messages to their family members.

Poderosa expressed its deep disappointment regarding the authorities’ lack of action to combat escalating illegal mining activities in a recent statement. The company, which has a workforce of about 8,000, lamented the rising tide of violence in the region, noting that the situation is deteriorating. According to a report by the Peruvian news outlet Diario Correo, a video circulated on social media, purportedly recorded by the captors, depicted the cruel execution of the miners at point-blank range, although the motivations behind these killings remain unclear.

Illegal mining has surged in Peru since 2020, forcing Poderosa to abandon various operations and jeopardizing the safety of both their employees and local artisanal miners. Earlier in March, criminals collaborating with illegal miners perpetrated violence near the La Ciénaga ravine, resulting in the deaths of two contractors at the mine. On the same occasion, it was reported that illegal miners blew up a high-voltage power tower that supplied energy to the mines and attempted to invade other mining sites.

Poderosa has called on the police and military to reinforce security and restore order, asserting that organized crime and illegal mining seem to operate with "absolute impunity" in the region. Peru stands as one of the leading gold producers globally, contributing over 100 tonnes annually, which accounts for about 4% of the world’s gold supply.