Small-scale copper miners are now challenging Big Copper for territorial control of rich deposits of the red metal. In Peru, artisanal mining permits have doubled to 80,000 since 2020, government records show. Peru's leftist administration presented a new framework for artisanal mining last week that declared artisanal mining is "as important" as big mining. "Where we have concessions we can't have (artisanal mining permits)," Rojas said. The number of valid artisanal mining permits in Tapairihua has fallen from 100 to 32 since May, according to government records.

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