Thousands of miners protested in Peru's capital on Monday, demanding that they be provided with the permits to continue working in certain mines.

Earlier this year, Peru eliminated more than 50,000 temporary permits to informal miners that allowed them to operate in the territory.

There are three types of mining in Peru: formal mining, which complies with all legal requirements; informal mining, which is smaller in scale but has been in the process of legalization for several years; and illegal mining, which operates in areas prohibited by law and has links to criminal groups, according to authorities.

The government extended temporary permits for informal miners until the end of 2025.

According to authorities, these permits are being exploited by criminal groups involved in mineral extraction, attracted by high gold and copper prices.

In Congress, the Energy and Mines Commission will meet again in the coming days to decide the fate of thousands of miners engaged in small-scale and artisanal mining who are asking for an extension to continue working, as well as a law for them.

In downtown Lima, thousands of miners marched and blocked the main streets leading to Congress, where they plan to remain for several days until Congress can resolve their problem.

Maximo Franco, president of the National Confederation of Small-Scale and Artisanal Mining of Peru (Confemin), said the miners he represents pay taxes, and all they want is to be formalized so they can work legally.

The Comprehensive Registry of Mining Formalization (REINFO) is a list maintained by Peru's Ministry of Energy and Mines that groups together artisanal and small-scale miners who are in the process of formalization.

Its objective is to organize mining activities and pardon registered miners from any criminal responsibility for the crime of illegal mining, but large legal mining companies are against adding thousands of miners to this list.

AP video by Cesar Barreto.