Peru Reinstates Nazca Lines Protection Amid Mining Pressures

In early June 2025, Peru’s government reversed a controversial reduction in the protected area surrounding the UNESCO designated Nazca Lines—a network of over 800 ancient geoglyphs etched into the desert more than 1,500 years ago. The protected zone had been reduced from 5,600 km² to 3,200 km² in late May following topographical reevaluations. However, civil society, archaeologists, and heritage conservationists strongly opposed the move, arguing that it left the fragile archeological and ecological region exposed to informal gold mining and environmental degradation.