13 miners found dead in Peru after kidnapping
May 6, 2025
Thirteen miners who had been working for an artisanal gold mining operation, owned by Peruvian gold mining company La Poderosa, were found dead on Monday after having been kidnapped on April 26. A video circulating on social media showed the miners being executed at point-blank range by armed criminals connected to illegal mining operations in Pataz Province, where the mine was located.
Illegal mining operations have increased exponentially in recent years, along with the increase in the price of gold. The Peruvian government has struggled to halt these activities, especially in more rural areas that have limited state presence. According to the New York Times, “Part of the problem, experts say, is that Peru allows artisanal miners who register with the government to be exempt from police evictions, as well as labor, environmental and tax laws, providing legal cover for illegal miners who operate in forbidden areas or without the permission of concession holders.” Attacks against miners have also increased in recent years, with nine workers killed in an ambush in 2023 and 16 bodies being found in a mass grave in a mining shaft in October 2024. On Saturday, 50 workers of another Peruvian mining company were found by police after having been taken hostage.
President Dina Boluarte suspended all mining activity for 30 days in Pataz, established a curfew in the area, and announced she would be installing a military base in the area where La Poderosa operates.
(Guardian, New York Times, BBC)
Mexico
José Murguía Santiago, mayor of Teuchitlán, was arrested by prosecutors who suspect Murguía Santiago of colluding with the New Generation Jalisco Cartel (CJNG), reports BBC. The mayor denied the accusations, saying, "If they want to investigate me, let them, I'm clean and willing to say what I know.”
U.S. Policy in LatAm
In the Latin America Risk Report, James Bosworth discusses U.S. policy towards Mexico, Marco Rubio’s new dual role as Secretary of State and interim National Security Advisor, and the Panama Canal, among other regional topics. Regarding U.S.-Mexican relations, Boz continues “to predict that some form of military action [in Mexico} will occur during the first year.”
Colombia
Former Foreign Minister Alvaro Leyva, who in the past weeks published a letter accusing President Gustavo Petro of having a drug addiction, announced he would be publishing a second letter this morning, reports La Silla Vacía.
In World Politics Review, James Bosworth wrote about the ongoing Cabinet drama in Colombia that is derailing Petro’s attempts at making progress with his flagship health and labor reforms.
El Salvador
According to the Association of Journalists (APES), attacks against the press more than doubled in 2024 when compared to the previous year, reports La Nación. The role of the primary aggressor against independent media outlets, which used to be members of gangs or other criminal organizations, has now become the state.
The increasingly close relationship between the U.S. and El Salvador has some experts concerned that U.S. President Donald Trump is looking to follow the footsteps of Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele, who has taken several steps to erode democratic institutions and values since taking office, writes Thomas Graham in the Guardian.
Brazil
Brazilian Finance Minister Fernando Haddad spoke to U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent to try and negotiate a regional understanding on tariffs, after the U.S. imposed 10% tariffs on several countries, reports Reuters. Bessent demonstrated “openness to dialogue,” according to Hadaad.
Márcia Lopes was appointed the new Minister for Women in Brazil by President Lula da Silva, reports MercoPress.
Argentina
A Reuters article draws light upon the downsides of President Javier Milei’s “chainsaw” economic policies, explaining how public sector salaries have fallen behind the inflation rate, leaving state workers struggling to make ends meet.
New drilling and analysis revealed that the Filo del Sol project, located on the border between Argentina and Chile, is the largest discovery of copper in 30 years, reports Buenos Aires Times.
Culture
In her new novel “My Name Is Emilia Del Valle,” author Isabel Allende tells the story of Emilia del Valle, a young journalist reporting on the Chilean civil war in the 1890s. Allende, who often writes about revolutionary themes, places her protagonist in the midst of a bloody war and the death by suicide of an ousted president. (Washington Post, AP News)