Matricide: The devastation of mining in the Amazon by Israel Fuguemann

An illegal open pit gold mining...region and in the entire world.

An illegal open pit gold mining mine in Madre de Dios, Peru, shows the effects of environmental devastation caused by mining: 25 tons of earth are removed and devastated to get around 30 grams of gold. In the last 30 years, this activity has deforested hundreds of thousands of hectares in one of the regions with the greatest biodiversity in the Latin American region and in the entire world.

The portrait of a man who has w...ercury for long hours and days.

The portrait of a man who has worked all night dredging and searching for gold in an illegal mine in Madre De Dios, Peru. Illegal miners use the water from the basin to separate the gold; mercury is also used; With this method, the jungle miners are not only damaging the environment, but also their bodies, which are exposed to skin poisoning from being in contact with mercury for long hours and days.

The work carried out by these m...e, heat, humidity and diseases.

The work carried out by these men is completely handmade and all their physical capacity is involved to be able to extract and separate the gold dust from the earth and water. In addition to working hours of more than 16 hours a day, they endure the conditions of the jungle, heat, humidity and diseases.

A gold nugget is the payment th...al mine in the Peruvian Amazon.

A gold nugget is the payment that a miner has received for working for 24 uninterrupted hours inside an illegal mine in the Peruvian Amazon.

This is the road that crosses p... generally poor and precarious.

This is the road that crosses part of the Peruvian Amazon in the department of Madre de Dios, this golden line is the one that many men and women follow until they reach the hidden paths in the jungle. They arrive at this place trying to improve their living conditions, which are generally poor and precarious.

A man tries to remove a vine fr...possible dangers is exhausting.

A man tries to remove a vine from a tree to use as a tool. The physical work required to work in the middle of the Amazon jungle with high temperatures, surrounded by possible dangers is exhausting.

A group of men work in an open-...eking employment opportunities.

A group of men work in an open-pit artisanal gold mining mine in the Department of Madre de Dios. The artisanal and illegal extraction of gold in the Amazon uses an ancient dredge system, as well as chemicals, that pollute the environment. Thousands of men and women have been displaced from various indigenous communities (generally in poverty) seeking employment opportunities.

Part of the dredging that uses ...a probable source of poisoning.

Part of the dredging that uses small-scale artisanal mining (ASM) uses ancient methods that damage the environment by polluting the region's aquifers (mainly with mercury); once used, water becomes a probable source of poisoning.

Two men walk in the middle of t...t that is found in the subsoil.

Two men walk in the middle of the network of improvised motors and pipes that work to drain the water from the Amazonian subsoil and thus obtain the gold dust that is found in the subsoil.

An old pipe from a dredging sys...al water systems on the planet.

An old pipe from a dredging system to extract gold and other minerals from the Amazon dumps its waste into an aquifer. In this type of artisanal mining, old machinery and chemical elements such as mercury that contaminate the water used to separate gold from other minerals are used. These aquifers represent one of the most important natural water systems on the planet.

With a mouth full of leaves fro...very year.n año. Madre de Dios,

With a mouth full of leaves from the coca plant (an old Andean tradition), the miner prepares to dive into the muddy terrain where they seek to extract gold. Their job consists of introducing the hoses of the pumps that dredge the water and the earth, as they advance, fallen trees and earth are destroying the land in their path. This work is dangerous and causes dozens of deaths every year.n año. Madre de Dios,

The road traveled by men who wo...s that Peru pays its workforce.

The road traveled by men who work in the illegal mines of Madre de Dios, Peru, is usually long and on difficult terrain to walk; generally, they carry tools and other utensils that are used to carry out their work. As they go through the humid jungle day after day, the weight they carry on their shoulders is getting heavier, but they do not know it or do not want to take responsibility for it; they know that their work affects the environment, but they prefer this way of earning money than facing the low wages that Peru pays its workforce.

The road traveled by the men wh...located by the Peruvian police.

The road traveled by the men who work in the illegal mines of is long and difficult to walk. They usually walk several kilometers in the middle of the jungle where they are not easily located by the Peruvian police.

A man who dedicates himself to ...stroy everything in their path.

A man who dedicates himself to felling trees so that his companions can continue dredging the land. The forest devastation of the Amazon has increased as the minerals do so in the territory. To extract the gold they destroy everything in their path.

A man walks where there was a m...itories in search of more gold.

A man walks where there was a mine. Weeks ago there was a mine in this territory of Madre de Dios, after having extracted and devastated the land, the miners move to new territories in search of more gold.

This small piece of gold dust w...it mine in the Peruvian jungle.

This small piece of gold dust will possibly end up in one of the world's rich countries. This miniscule amount (smaller than the palm of a hand) is the result of more than 24 hours of work in an illegal open pit mine in the Peruvian jungle.

Many indigenous people of the P...ercury for long hours and days.

Many indigenous people of the Peruvian Amazon have left their communities of origin to work in activities related to the extraction of minerals and the exploitation of the environment; many of them operate irregularly deep into the jungle. This method, which depends entirely on body strength, jungle miners are not only damaging the environment, but also their bodies, which are exposed to skin poisoning by being in contact with mercury for long hours and days.

A group of men manually extract...ld they extract from the earth.

A group of men manually extract minerals from the earth, with this method they seek to separate the gold they extract from the earth.

A man observes the labor camp t...re lost in Madre de Dios, Peru.

A man observes the labor camp that they have devastated in recent weeks. According to the National Program for the Conservation of Forests for the Mitigation of Climate Change of the Ministry of the Environment (Minam), between 2001 and 2019, around 230,000 hectares of forests were lost in Madre de Dios, Peru.

Day and night, the 26 engines a...ng for them means losing money.

Day and night, the 26 engines and dredgers of this mine work without rest. Under a deafening noise, the lights are turned on so as not to stop the pace of work: Stopping for them means losing money.

Even during the night the work ... their working day is 24 hours.

Even during the night the work is suffocating, the heat from the engines and the mosquitoes do not allow the miners to rest (they organize themselves in short rest groups): their working day is 24 hours.

Interned in the dark jungle, th...the one who had extracted gold.

Interned in the dark jungle, the miners are also exposed to assaults and violence. In recent days, an armed commando assaulted these men, taking the one who had extracted gold.

In the extraction mines, there ...ods while working in the mines.

In the extraction mines, there are no houses, just a few makeshift camps where workers spend the night and rest while they are not working in the mine. In these camps without electricity or water service, entire families manage to survive for long periods while working in the mines.

The role of women is destined t...reate improvised camps to cook.

The role of women is destined to take care of the home and the preparation of food, while the men work, the women also create improvised camps to cook.

Invisibilities, often violated:... the families are impoverished.

Invisibilities, often violated: Hundreds of women are destined to work in their homes, cooking and taking care of their children while the men work in the mines. Despite the fact that the gold is mined, the conditions of the homes inland continue to be precarious, and the families are impoverished.

The systemic violence exerted o...st affected by this phenomenon.

The systemic violence exerted on many girls and adolescents is causing many of them to be victims of crime. In Peru, 60% of victims of human trafficking reported by the Public Ministry are minors, of which 90% are women. The Madre de Dios area is one of the most affected by this phenomenon.

In Madre de Dios, there are 37 ...maged and polluted environment.

In Madre de Dios, there are 37 native communities: They are the first affected by the growth of the last years of mining. Many of its inhabitants have changed their old ways of life to join the workforce that extract the minerals from their home, the jungle. Children born in this territory are born in the middle of a degraded, damaged and polluted environment.

Tired, unable to sleep adequate... lives working in these places.

Tired, unable to sleep adequately, man wakes up on these stones. A worker can earn around 500 soles (100 euros) in a day of work, an amount well above the average in the rest of the country; for this reason, many decided to accept these working conditions and risk their lives working in these places.

A group of men rests during the...ld rush in the Peruvian Amazon.

A group of men rests during the shift change, one arrives and others leave, las. mininas work ceaselessly. Many of these men are indigenous from different regions of Peru who have come attracted by the new gold rush in the Peruvian Amazon.

The flame is from the burning o...to separate or recycle garbage.

The flame is from the burning of garbage that the workers do so they don't have to carry the waste to the towns. In the middle of this jungle there is no place to separate or recycle garbage.

A young man rests in front of a...in their communities of origin.

A young man rests in front of an apocalyptic scene. Chaos and destruction is the result after working for several hours in an illegal open-pit gold mine in Madre de Dios, Peru. Under unsanitary conditions, without sanitary security and extreme conditions of heat and humidity, young people grow up and learn a dangerous trade and without environmental awareness; they seek employment opportunities that they did not find in their communities of origin.

Israel Fuguemann

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