'This river is doomed': Peru's gold rush threatens waterways and the people who depend on them

Indigenous communities lead fight to stop illicit mining in Loreto that is poisoning the water and destroying its forestsLoreto used to be considered a peaceful region in Peru, but not any more. José Manuyama Ahuite was born at the confluence of the Ucayali and Tapiche rivers in Requena, 100 miles (160km) south of Iquitos, a port city and the gateway to the Indigenous peoples of the northern Amazon. He moved to the town in 2004, before the miners brought pollution to the Nanay River and destruction to surrounding forests."The river forms part of our spirit and culture. If the river dies, so does our human dignity," he says. "Now this river is doomed. The colour of the water is changing, and the same devastation in other mining areas is beginning to be reproduced here in the Nanay." Continue reading...