Illegal mercury use in Amazon flagged to OAS human-rights body
BRASÍLIA, Brazil — The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office presented a study to the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights reporting mercury use in illegal Amazon goldmining, citing contamination and health harms; submission followed March reporting to REDESCA and was filed in April 2026.
What did the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office tell the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights?
The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office told the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights that mercury is widely used in illegal goldmining in the Amazon and that vapour and runoff are contaminating rivers, soil and fish consumed by indigenous and riverine communities.
The office provided a study to the Commission’s autonomous body last week that supplements a March 2026 submission to the Special Rapporteur on Economic, Social, Cultural and Environmental Rights (REDESCA). The filing names pathways of exposure: amalgamation of gold with metallic mercury, heating the alloy to evaporate mercury and subsequent deposition of mercury in waterways.
The complaint points to ecosystem degradation beyond contamination, citing deforestation, intensive soil removal and riverbed alteration. It also locates the problem across the Guiana Shield — Guyana, French Guiana, Suriname, Venezuela and Brazil — a five‑country area REDESCA has singled out when urging protection of the human right to water.
According to the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights, the Commission receives thematic reports and may press states for measures; the body is part of the Organisation of American States. The Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources provided a statement to national media saying it enforces mercury controls domestically.
How is Brazil regulating mercury and what gaps did authorities note?
Brazilian authorities point to rules introduced in 2024 that tighten access to legally imported metallic mercury but acknowledge enforcement gaps and the continued use of smuggled supplies in illegal operations.
The Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources said its 2024 regulation requires licensing of individuals and legal entities that handle metallic mercury and the carrying of a Metallic Mercury Operations Document for import, sale and transfer between licensed parties. The regulator added that 1989 presidential decrees remain in effect and prohibit the use of mercury in goldmining except in activities licensed by the environmental agency.
IBAMA described ongoing enforcement actions aimed at restricting mercury use, while the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office frames the matter as a human‑rights and public‑health concern that requires international scrutiny. According to the Minamata Convention Secretariat, artisanal and small‑scale gold mining uses mercury in many countries and is a principal driver of releases—context that international bodies use when assessing national measures.
Why should Caribbean readers and businesses care?
Caribbean states, particularly Guyana and Suriname, share the Guiana Shield and river systems linked to cross‑border fisheries and freshwater resources; contamination in upstream Amazon tributaries can affect transboundary fish stocks, inland fisheries and water safety for coastal communities.
Economic and compliance risks follow environmental harm: exporters of fish and freshwater produce face reputational and regulatory exposure if mercury levels rise, and regional trade partners may demand stricter supply‑chain controls. As of April 2026, REDESCA has called attention to water rights across the Guiana Shield, increasing pressure on governments to tighten oversight.
- Who filed the report: Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office
- Where: Amazon region, covering Guiana Shield countries
- When: study presented to IACHR in April 2026; related report to REDESCA in March 2026
- Regulatory actions: 2024 IBAMA regulation; 1989 presidential decrees still apply
Regulators and companies should monitor three near‑term developments: any IACHR follow‑up requests for information; formal recommendations from REDESCA; and Brazilian enforcement actions that may alter legal mercury flows. The Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office’s submission increases the likelihood of coordinated regional scrutiny and potential policy responses.
The La Caribeña News story draws on the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office filing to the Inter‑American Commission on Human Rights, statements from the Brazilian Institute of the Environment and Renewable Natural Resources, and contextual guidance from the Minamata Convention Secretariat. Watch for IACHR or REDESCA announcements and IBAMA enforcement reports in the coming months; the Federal Public Prosecutor’s Office is likely to be a central interlocutor in any intergovernmental steps.