Peru’s Gold Miners Hold the Balance in Presidential Runoff

With roughly 500,000 workers contributing $11 billion in annual exports, Peru’s informal gold miners have emerged as the definitive voting bloc in the nation’s presidential runoff. As the REINFO regulatory program nears its December expiration, candidates Keiko Fujimori and Roberto Sanchez are scrambling to secure this influential rural constituency.

The REINFO program, launched in 2016 to formalize the sector, has become a permanent fixture of the political landscape despite its original four-year mandate. While the system allows miners to operate without full environmental permits, neither candidate is willing to dismantle a program that sustains half of Peru’s total gold output. Fujimori, holding a narrow lead in current polls, promises to curb illegal activity while improving credit access for small-scale operations. Conversely, Sanchez is leveraging his support in rural strongholds to advocate for the redistribution of unused mining concessions.

Magna Ismael Palomino of the artisanal group CONFEMIN argues that large mining interests currently dominate the national agenda at the expense of smaller producers. This tension is palpable, as $63 billion in major mining projects face delays due to persistent conflicts with informal miners. Although political financing in the sector remains opaque, the influence of these groups is undeniable, forcing candidates to navigate a delicate balance between environmental regulation and the economic survival of thousands of impoverished communities.