Quickgold

Peruvians call themselves “the mining country.” Gold mining is the foundation of life in the Madre de Dios river valley. To extract the gold, quicksilver is used for binding the gold particles together. This mercury-gold ball is heated and the quicksilver evaporates, leaving pure gold. Up to 20 tons of gold are produced in Madre de Dios annually by 60,000 miners scattered around more than 85,000 square kilometers. No miners can legalize their activities in Madre de Dios because of contradictory laws. Fifteen percent of the gold mining in Peru is illegal, generating twice as much profit as drug-dealing.

Peruvians call themselves “the mining country.” Gold mining and processing are the foundation of life in the Madre de Dios river valley. Up to 20 tons of gold are produced in Madre de Dios annually by 60,000 miners scattered around more than 85,000 square kilometers. Fifteen percent of the gold mining in Peru is illegal, generating twice as much profit as drug-dealing.
On varying scales, with the help of water the soil is separated into stones and gold-containing sand. To extract the gold, quicksilver is used for binding the gold particles together. This mercury-gold ball is heated in a retort and the quicksilver evaporates, leaving pure gold and polluting the environment.
“We don’t do stupid things and what they say about quicksilver is a lie,” says Don Claudio, a concession owner. “They say quicksilver poisons people and damages the brain, but it’s not true. We used to drink quicksilver to stop feeling lonely. I swallowed it and forgot my problems. The state has virtually declared us to be like drug dealers and terrorists, but we are not like that. When they blew up our engine, we were ruined overnight, because there is no other work here that would guarantee a living.”
Currently, no miners can legalize their activities in Madre de Dios because of contradictory laws. Getting a mining concession in Madre de Dios means paying a small fee to the government for a contractual right to develop its natural resources. However, the right pertains only to the earth’s depths. The surface does not belong to the concession owners and may be sold to other people, which is a source of many conflicts.
Usually miners come from remote areas in the mountains. They respect the hierarchy, even when they go for a drink in a bar. Normally the workers don’t get together with the concession owners.
“Concession owners are called 'bulls' in local slang, and workers are called 'jackals',” explains Manuel who works in gold mining as engineer. “'Huaychulero' is the lowest position. These workers learn how to drive the machines, and then in their next camp they can present themselves as drivers. A good driver can distinguish between gold-containing soil and useless mud.”
In about 2006, the price of gold rose from $8 per gram to $16. Since then, the miners have understood that gold can bring big bucks. Currently you get about $35 per gram.
“When you see something that you feel might be gold, go get it, even if it is shaped like a snake, even if it is shaped like a locust — just go get it,” speaks Don Lauro, a concession owner. “If you are lucky, gold simply comes to you of its own accord. The capital of Madre de Dios — Mother of God — is Puerto Maldonado, which means “given badly.” The Mother of God is given badly. What does that mean? God is eternal, right? And there are some things from God that are given badly. This is the case with Madre de Dios.”