PERU
MADRE DE DIOS — LIMA — CHIQUITOY — CHEPEN
In 1986 the first Shipiba indigenous from the upper Amazon in Peru came to Lima, fleeing for the `Sendero Luminoso' (Shining Path, the Maoist guerilla group). In 1986 they founded the shantytown of Cantagallo (singing rooster) in the north of Lima along the Pan-American Highway. The community nowadays counts about a 1000 people. Where people fled in the 80's for the violence, nowadays they stay in Lima for economic reasons. Although being in a very different environment, the Shibipa try to keep their culture and language. Women sell their self-made textiles and handicraft in the streets of Lima.
Peru is worlds fifth producer of gold and the Peruvian Amazon houses most of it. It lead to a real gold rush, where nowadays an estimated 40,000 miners are looking for luck, most of them from Cusco. Unfortunately at a high cost, protected forest is being turned upside down and huge amounts of mercury are polluting the land, the rivers and endangers people's health.
Although almost all mining is illegal the Peruvian authorities do very little, partly because local authorities are involved in mining operations.
Smaller or bigger mining towns grow like mushrooms, they cater for miners not only in terms of food and equipment, but especially with prostitutes. Many of them are trafficked to the area, just like many children.
