A Catholic Bishop in Peru’s Amazon has warned that soaring global gold prices have fuelled illegal mining and mercury poisoning in the region. 

Bishop Miguel Ángel Cadenas told the Associated Press that the situation was "delicate" and warned that mercury contamination could lead to widespread food insecurity in the region. 

Cadenas, an Augustinian missionary from Spain who had lived in Peru’s Amazon for three decades, said illegal mining had surged since the COVID-19 pandemic.  

He cited the Tigre, Nanay, Napo and Putumayo rivers as areas where mercury contamination had placed communities at risk. Tests showed mercury levels in local fish and in residents’ hair samples above World Health Organization limits. 

He said Peru could not face the crisis alone and urged gold-buying nations such as China, the United Arab Emirates, the United Kingdom and Switzerland to enforce stronger traceability systems to stop illegal gold entering global markets. 

“As long as the price of gold continues to rise, it is very difficult for a national government to manage this situation,” Cadenas said. 

The bishop also warned of growing violence against environmental defenders, noting reports of armed groups linked to illegal miners in remote areas. 

“Earning money is fine, but it cannot be at the cost of injustice and the lives of the poorest,” he said.