A Temporary Measure to Manage a Persistent Reality
Peru has approved a new extension of the Reinfo register through 2026, allowing thousands of informal miners to continue operating under transitional permits. The decision reflects the government’s assessment that many regions lack the institutional, technical, and economic conditions required for rapid formalization. By prolonging the validity of temporary authorizations, authorities seek to prevent abrupt production shutdowns while attempting to preserve a minimum legal framework for operators who remain outside full compliance.
Regional Dynamics and Uneven Progress on the Ground
Experiences from key mining zones—including Madre de Dios, Puno, La Libertad, Amazonas, and Ayacucho—show that the impacts of ongoing Reinfo extensions vary widely. Some groups have used the transitional period to improve basic operational practices, adopt rudimentary safety protocols, or initiate environmental remediation steps. Yet in many areas, the lack of consistent technical assistance and unclear land-use rights has led to stalled processes, limited environmental oversight, and tension with fully formalized producers. Communities often perceive the system as fragmented, where temporary authorization neither guarantees sustainable practices nor resolves long-standing territorial disputes.
What the Extension Reveals About Peru’s Governance Challenge
The new Reinfo timeline highlights a central tension in Peru’s mining system: transitional permits alone cannot bridge the gap between informality and a credible, rules-based sector. Each extension reduces immediate social conflict but also prolongs regulatory uncertainty, weakens traceability, and complicates responsible sourcing commitments demanded by global markets. For Peru to maintain competitiveness and institutional legitimacy, temporary measures must evolve into a formalization pathway that aligns environmental protection, economic inclusion, and enforceable governance. The lesson is clear: the country needs a coherent, long-term strategy—not recurrent extensions—to integrate small-scale miners into a transparent and sustainable mineral economy.