A Legislative Decision That Redefines the Contours of Peru’s Mining Governance
During the first week of December 2025, Peru’s Congress approved a one-year extension of the REINFO registry, allowing thousands of informal gold and copper miners to continue operating under temporary permits through 2026. The measure, supported by the Executive, reflects long-standing structural realities: vast mining territories where the state’s presence is limited, formal titles overlap with small-scale operations, and communities depend on artisanal mining for income. For lawmakers, extending REINFO is framed as a necessary step to avoid mass economic disruption and keep small producers within a minimally regulated framework.
Diverging Stakeholder Reactions and On-the-Ground Implications
The decision immediately sparked debate across the mining sector. Formal mining companies and several regional business associations voiced concern that repeated extensions weaken Peru’s regulatory credibility and fuel the expansion of informal—and in some areas illegal—operations. Regions such as Madre de Dios, Puno, La Libertad, and Amazonas have witnessed increasing territorial conflicts, environmental degradation, and the emergence of parallel supply chains operating outside fiscal and environmental oversight. For many small miners, however, the extension is viewed as a lifeline: without REINFO, they risk criminalization, eviction, or loss of income, especially in areas where formalization requirements remain complex and costly.
A Window of Opportunity—or Another Delay in Structural Reform?
The REINFO extension underscores Peru’s central governance dilemma: temporary permits cannot substitute for a coherent, enforceable formalization strategy. While the extension reduces short-term social tensions, it prolongs uncertainty for investors and communities, blurring the boundary between legitimate small-scale activity and environmentally destructive mining. Moving from license tolerance to stakeholder prosperity will require more than administrative reprieve—it demands targeted technical support, clear land-use rules, stronger environmental safeguards, and mechanisms that allow small miners to become predictable, accountable economic actors. The coming year will test whether the state uses this extension as a bridge to structural reform or simply postpones yet another opportunity to realign legality, livelihoods, and legitimacy.