Ghost town gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon

• ghost town gold mining in the Peruvian Amazon

In Peru, in the Amazon region, there are many illegal quarries illegal gold mining around which grow the real miner's settlement. Recently, one of these villages Hupetue left more than 22 000 people since April, the government has suspended gasoline supplies and sent troops to destroy heavy equipment used for gold mining. Almost half a century there was this village, had grown during its existence to the whole town with a population of 25,000 people. But now, apparently, the city will be abandoned.

The mayor Marco Ortega said that more than 22 000 people have already left Hupetue, and still remains in the city of 3000 residents who have nowhere to go.

Bi Snyder Macedo wakes up in a tent located near the place where his parents mined gold.

A woman sells flowers on the empty street in the mountain camp. The government in April suspended gasoline supplies and sent troops to destroy heavy equipment used for gold mining.

25-year-old Joel Macedo and his wife Nield mined gold by hand, without the use of technology. Father of two children, he is now struggling to earn a living for themselves and their family.

The mayor Marco Ortega says: "The city's economy is destroyed. Stores and shops for buying gold, food and industrial shops, hostels and all kinds of businesses have closed. The town was left without a people. " So the town looked like before the government began to close the illegal exploitation of gold. The town had a church, shops, a circus, gas stations, bars, restaurants, hotels.

The troops cordoned off the area with heavy machinery and equipment used for gold mining. According to official data, the illegal miners have extracted 159 million. Tonnes of gold worth $ 7 billion. Dollars over the last decade in the region of Madre de Dios, in the territory of which is precisely the town was situated.

The man runs on a motorcycle tank with gas, because the gas stations closed. The representative of the authorities dealing with the destruction of illegal gold mining, said that all the evicted miners will be employed.

The people who mined the gold, stopped to eat.

Gas stations closed after the government imposed a quota on the sale of fuel in an effort to reduce the informal gold mining in the region of Madre de Dios.

Shakhtar carries a bucket and a shovel to dig for gold. The miners, who stayed in the town, is now forced to mine gold primitive medieval instruments: a pick and shovel.

Due to illegal gold mining in the region of Madre de Dios suffers greatly Ecology: Tropical forests, soil contamination of toxic mercury used to separate gold landfill. The miners, who stayed in the town, is now forced to mine gold primitive medieval instruments: a pick and shovel.

25-year-old Joel Macedo is pushing a bicycle with his three year old son Anthony. Macedo earned before 1071 dollars a month, worked by the operator on heavy mining equipment.

Miner mines gold using an ancient technique known as "Chikuikuar".

A boy plays on the shore of the crater made by gold miners during the gold workings. Environmental damage such barbaric methods of gold extraction of the local flora and fauna has suffered huge.

The family returns home after a day on the extraction of gold. Although it is for them life has become much harder, and they smile.

A prostitute waits for customers at a bar in the town Hupetue. Brothels, as well as the whole city - empty.

Clown Miguel dressed before the performance in a small circus in town Hupetue, in the region of Madre de Dios in Peru.

25-year-old Joel Macedo earned before 1071 dollars a month, worked by the operator on heavy mining equipment. Rather than return to his native city of Cusco and start all over again, Joel Macedo hopes that the Government formally proposed to the miners working illegally in Hupetue, some legitimate work. Joel Macedo says: "The government is doing everything right, stopping the illegal mining of gold, but it should think about us ordinary workers."