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A prominent Catholic leader in Peru’s Amazon is urgently appealing to countries that import gold to help curb illegal mining, which is severely polluting rivers with mercury as gold prices reach unprecedented highs.
Miguel Ángel Cadenas, an Augustinian priest who has dedicated three decades to Peru’s Amazon region, reports a significant increase in illegal mining activities since the Covid-19 pandemic.
He highlighted the Tigre, Nanay, Napo, and Putumayo rivers as areas where local communities face grave risks.
Scientific tests have revealed mercury levels in some fish exc
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