Peru: 13 workers kidnapped in gold mine found dead
The victims were employees of a company providing services to Poderosa, a major mining firm listed on the Lima Stock Exchange, which has recently been targeted by armed groups associated with illegal mining.
The 13 workers kidnapped at a mine
Thirteen workers associated with one of Peru’s major mining companies were found dead inside a gold mine in Pataz, located in the northwest of the country. The company and Peruvian authorities have confirmed the tragic discovery.
The incident was reported days after the kidnapping of workers at the same site.
Mining is a vital sector of Peru's economy, as the country is one of the largest gold producers in Latin America. Pataz, located approximately 560 miles from the capital Lima, has been under a state of emergency since February 2024 due to rising violence.
"Early this morning, after intense search efforts, the police rescue team was able to recover the bodies of the 13 workers who were kidnapped (...) by illegal miners in collusion with criminal elements," said a statement from the Poderosa mining company, where the incident occurred.
The victims were employees of a company providing services to Poderosa, a major mining firm listed on the Lima Stock Exchange, which has recently become a target of armed groups linked to illegal mining.
Police sources told AFP that the workers' bodies remain inside the mine. Images released by authorities show troops searching the dark tunnels using flashlights and ropes.
Recovering governability
President Dina Boluarte's government has deployed elite teams specialized in organized crime, along with investigative units, to apprehend those responsible.
"Our agents (...) are fully authorized to use their firearms if the situation demands it, in strict accordance with the current legal framework," the Interior Ministry stated in a press release.
"We have to recover governability, order and peace in Pataz (...). What is happening there is unacceptable," Jorge Luis Montero, Minister of Energy and Mines, told RPP radio.
According to Poderosa, "A total of 39 collaborators, artisanal miners, and their workers have now been killed by the criminal gangs that have taken control of the area."
The mining company issued an "urgent call" for the government to reassess its security strategy.
The statement continued, "The spiral of uncontrolled violence in Pataz persists despite the declaration of a state of emergency and the presence of a significant police contingent, which, unfortunately, has not been able to stop the worsening security conditions in the area."
"We have to recover governance, order and peace in Pataz (...). We are going to get them all," Jorge Luis Montero, Minister of Energy and Mines, told RPP radio.
"We want justice"
"My brother and his peers have been tortured and killed. How is it possible that the police have done nothing? We have waited a week to find out about all this," Emilia Rospigliosi, sister of victim Cesar Rospigliosi, told Latina channel.
In the city of Trujillo, nine hours west of Pataz, relatives of some of the deceased waited for the bodies to be transferred to the morgue.
"We want justice, and we don’t want this to end here," said Abraham Domínguez, father of Deiter Domínguez, one of the victims, in an interview with Canal N television.
Pataz Mayor Aldo Carlos announced that he will meet with President Boluarte on Monday to discuss solutions to the ongoing insecurity.
"I have been raising my voice loudly, I am not a troublemaker, but it hurts me what is happening in my town (...) If they put me in jail or kill me, the federal government will be the only one responsible," he stated.
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