The Case:
In 2025, Peru’s mining formalization strategy continued to rely on repeated extensions of the Registro Integral de Formalización Minera (REINFO). Initially conceived as a temporary pathway toward compliance, REINFO increasingly functioned as a permanent governance arrangement.
Its persistence reflected a structural dilemma: managing widespread economic dependence on informal mining amid limited institutional
capacity, unclear land tenure, and uneven enforcement. Over time, extensions reframed formalization less as a transition toward legality and more as a mechanism to contain social and economic disruption.
The Facts:
The REINFO debate evolved in distinct phases. In February, regional authorities and mining associations warned that existing deadlines were misaligned with administrative and technical capacity, prompting calls for flexibility. Central authorities emphasized avoiding abrupt exclusion of operators embedded in local economies. By March, protests linked to informal and small-scale mining intensified in several regions, framed around employment risks and land-use uncertainty. These mobilizations reinforced a preference for containment over confrontation.
In July, the executive branch acknowledged uneven conditions for formalization across regions, citing gaps in technical assistance, cadastral clarity, and inter-agency coordination. Selective enforcement against illegal mining continued alongside tolerance through registration, consolidating a dual-track approach.
By December, Congress approved another REINFO extension, confirming what had become evident throughout the year: the temporary had become structural.
Why This Case Was Important in 2025
REINFO mattered because repeated extensions reshaped stakeholder expectations. Formalization shifted from a time-bound process to an open-ended condition, weakening incentives for compliance and prolonging uncertainty around environmental responsibility and land use.
More broadly, the case illustrated a recurring governance pattern in 2025: stability achieved through postponement may reduce short-term risk, but it accumulates long-term uncertainty.