Peruvian Congress seeks to extend registration of informal miners in controversial law.

The Congress of the Republic of Peru has put on the agenda a controversial law that seeks to extend the registration of informal miners in the Comprehensive Mining Formalization Registry (Reinfo) for 90 days. However, this proposal has received criticism because the formalization process has been going on for over two decades without concrete results and has allowed for the growth of illegal mining. The Reinfo, created in 2016, has had several deadline extensions, which have facilitated the impunity of illegal mining. The current proposed law aims to allow the registration of new informal miners in the Reinfo. Experts and organizations have criticized this proposal, arguing that the formalization process has not been successful in Peru and has resulted in chaos, disorder, and corruption. In addition, registration in the Reinfo does not guarantee compliance with environmental, labor, and safety standards. Currently, only 15,344 out of 87,069 registered miners in the Reinfo maintain their valid registration, while the majority are suspended. Various institutions, such as the Presidency of the Council of Ministers, the Office of the Ombudsman, and the Ministry of the Environment, have expressed their disagreement with the proposal, arguing that it promotes impunity and violates the rule of law. However, the Ministry of Energy and Mines has issued a favorable opinion with some observations. This process of mining formalization in Peru has been going on for over two decades and has been prolonged without concrete results. Experts point out that the state does not have the capacity to supervise or meet the requirements for formalization, which has allowed for the growth of illegal mining. The increase in the international price of gold has led to an increase in illegal activities related to mineral extraction.