LIMA, May 6, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Peru's President Dina Boluarte on Monday imposed a curfew and suspended gold mining in a northern district where 13 people were killed after a kidnapping inside a gold mine.

Mining is a key economic driver in Peru, one of the largest gold producers in Latin America.

Pataz, located around 560 miles (900 kilometers) from the capital Lima, is under a state of emergency due to escalating violence caused by a gold rush there.

The 13 people found dead on Sunday were employees of a subcontractor of mining company Poderosa.

They had been kidnapped days earlier, allegedly by illegal miners working with criminal gangs.

Boluarte on Monday announced several new measures to try to get to grips with the situation, including an overnight curfew and the establishment of a military base in Pataz.

She added that the army would take "total control" of the mine operated by Poderosa and suspend "all mining activity" in the province for 30 days to allow for the deployment of the troops.

Poderosa, a major gold mining firm listed on the Lima stock exchange, has in recent months been targeted by armed groups linked to illegal mining.

"We all know that illegal activity in our mining sector generates millions and millions, much more than drug trafficking," Boluarte said in a statement carried by state television.

"We have to lead this fight and win this war," she declared.

On Sunday, the interior ministry said it had deployed organized crime specialists to probe the deaths at Poderosa, warning its agents "are fully empowered to use their firearms if the circumstances warrant it."

Peru is experiencing an unprecedented wave of racketeering and gang violence, leading the authorities to declare a state of emergency in several parts of the country.