First study on the impact of illegal mining on human rights to be presented at the XVI SIMPOSIO
- The study, conducted by the Institute of Criminology and Studies on Violence (ICEV, by its Spanish acronym), examines human rights violations in areas where illegal mining occurs.
Lima, May 06, 2026. The SIMPOSIO – XVI International Mining Meeting, organized by the National Society of Mining, Petroleum, and Energy (SNMPE), will be the setting in which the results of the first field study on violence and human rights violations caused by the expansion of illegal mining will be presented. The study was conducted by the Instituto de Criminología y Estudios sobre la Violencia (Institute of Criminology and Studies on Violence) at the request of the mining, petroleum and energy industry association.
Nicolás Zevallos, Director of Public Affairs at ICEV, will explain how illegal mining and associated illicit economies affect human rights, governance, and the legitimacy of formal economic activities, based on field evidence gathered in three regions of the country: La Rinconada (Puno), Atico (Arequipa), and Pataz (La Libertad).
“It is not just a matter of highlighting violence or crime, but of making it clear that this is a systematic violation of rights in the face of the state’s inaction. The study proposes that the state must fulfill its fundamental role of protecting citizens from these illegal economies and propose appropriate public policies,” said Zevallos.
This will be followed by a panel discussion in which experts will analyze the main findings. The panel will include Rohel Sánchez, regional governor of Arequipa; Paulo Vilca, a political scientist at the Instituto de Estudios Peruanos (Institute of Peruvian Studies); Jane Antilla, head of the Technical Mission in Peru for the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights; and Marcelina Angulo, Human Rights Advocate for the Management Committee of the Pintuyacu, Chambira, and Alto Nanay Regional Conservation Area. The panel will be moderated by Jéssica Vásquez, president of the SNMPE Human Rights Committee.
Nicolás Zevallos is a specialist in criminal economies, illegal value chains, and criminal risk analysis. He has served as Deputy Minister of the Interior and has led investigations into organized crime, forced labor, and human rights violations in the context of illegal economies in Peru and the region. ICEV is a Peruvian institution dedicated to the scientific study of violence, crime, and their social impacts.
The SIMPOSIO – XVI International Mining Meeting will take place from May 26 to 28 at the JW Marriott Hotel in Lima, under the slogan “Mining that integrates, builds the present, and transforms the future.” It will bring together business leaders, government authorities, academics, and international experts to discuss investment, sustainability, innovation, and a roadmap towards a modern and competitive mining sector.
