Peru’s former President Ollanta Humala used explosives to combat wildcat gold miners in the Amazon jungle in a bid to stem deforestation and mercury pollution. His successor is taking a more diplomatic approach. Less than two weeks after taking office, President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski held talks Tuesday with industry representatives in Madre de Dios, an area of southeastern Peru that accounted for almost 10% of the country’s gold output last year. Kuczynski is also adopting a conciliatory approach to try to restart work at major mining projects that were stalled amid community opposition during the previous administration.
