In response to the brutal killing of 13 kidnapped mine workers last week, the Peruvian government has implemented a night-time curfew in the violence-stricken Pataz province.
President Dina Boluarte has also suspended all mining operations in the area for 30 days and announced the deployment of additional police and military personnel.
The move follows a surge in criminal activity in the region, particularly targeting the mining sector.
The tragedy has drawn national attention to the escalating influence of organized criminal gangs operating in Pataz.
La Poderosa, the gold mining company where the victims worked, confirmed that the men were abducted on April 26 by “illegal miners colluding with criminals.” Their bodies were recovered on Sunday, days after harrowing footage emerged showing them bound, naked, and held in a mine shaft.
President Boluarte pledged decisive action, stating that the armed forces would assume “full control of La Poderosa mining area.”
The company revealed in a May 2 statement that violence tied to criminal gangs has claimed the lives of 39 individuals associated with La Poderosa.
Despite a state of emergency declared in February 2024, the security situation has continued to deteriorate.
“The spiral of uncontrolled violence in Pataz is occurring despite the declaration of a state of emergency and the presence of a large police contingent which, unfortunately, has not been able to halt the deterioration of security conditions in the area,” the statement noted.
The 13 victims were employed by R&R, a subcontractor for La Poderosa. According to reports, they were sent to retake control of the mine after it was attacked and occupied, but were instead ambushed and taken hostage.
The captors released disturbing videos to the victims’ families, demanding ransom payments and sparking widespread outrage across the country.
Forensic reports later indicated the men were executed at close range more than a week before their bodies were found.
Speaking to local outlets, regional prosecutor Luis Guillermo Bringas described the current situation as “a war for mining pits,” pitting criminal and illegal mining groups against legitimate mining operations.
