"Peruvian officials announce significant reduction of Nazca Lines protected area by 42%, causing apprehension surrounding potential harm to environment and cultural heritage"

Title: Controversial Reduction of Nazca Lines Archaeological Park Sparks Outcry

Subtitle: Critics cry foul as Peruvian government permits substantial shrinkage of UNESCO World Heritage Site

Byline: contribution from the AP

** Location:** BOGOTA, Colombia

The Peruvian government's recent decision to shrink the archeological park home to the renowned Nazca Lines by around 42%, an area equivalent to over 1,400 soccer fields, has ignited a tempest among conservationists, archaeologists, and environmental advocates.

Critics argue that this rollback paves the path for illicit mining and weakens decades of cultural and ecological preservation, while the governing body insists the alteration reflects updated scientific research and does not jeopardize the site's UNESCO World Heritage status or its core protections.

Mariano Castro, Peru's former vice minister of the environment, asserted that the reduction not only eliminates protections but does so in the very areas where extractive activity is burgeoning. He further claimed that this action could culminate in "very serious risks and cumulative damage," as it excludes zones with active or pending mining claims.

Castro added that safeguards for archaeological heritage during the formalization of artisanal mining are already inadequate. "This is exacerbated by the ministry of culture's failure to consider the cumulative impact of numerous mining operations on sensitive archaeological zones," he said.

The area in question is a UNESCO-recognized World Heritage Site, hosting the Nazca Lines - massive geoglyphs etched into the desert thousands of years ago - and one of Peru's most vulnerable desert ecosystems.

Peruvian environmental lawyer César Ipenza, who has closely monitored the decision, declared that the resolution has already been approved and significantly reduces the Nazca zone by more than 1,000 hectares.

"This is a weakening of both environmental and cultural safeguards," Ipenza stated. "The state should uphold its commitments under international accords, not grant concessions to private interests."

Ipenza and others contend that the reduction represents a pattern of regulatory concessions to primarily informal gold miners.

"There's an alliance between the current government and informal mining sectors," he said. "The legal framework continues to be relaxed to advantage them."

Peru's ministry of culture, which decided on May 30 to reduce the Nazca reserve from approximately 5,600 square kilometers to roughly 3,200 square kilometers, declined to answer specific inquiries from The Associated Press. Instead, it released a press statement asserting that the adjustment was based on updated archeological research and does not affect the UNESCO World Heritage designation or its buffer zone.

The ministry stated that it remains dedicated to preserving the site's cultural heritage through regulated management.

A day after the May 30 decision, Peru's Minister of Culture Fabricio Valencia admitted that illegal mining exists within the reserve. "Sadly, informal mining is an activity present in this area, but the measure we have taken does not encourage it, nor will the probability of any harm from informal mining increase. That will not occur," Valencia admitted on RPP, one of Peru's biggest radio programs.

When questioned for further details about the presence of illegal activities in the reserve, Valencia stated, "there are some mining deposits, but I don't have accurate information about the type of mineral that's there."

UNESCO did not promptly respond to a request for comment.

Castro, the former vice minister, warned that the move could contravene Peru's own laws. "It defies Article 5(h) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Law, which mandates the protection of archeological and historical heritage," he said.

Ipenza stated that the government is enabling illegality under the guise of technical adjustments. "It's regrettable to forget our ancestors and our heritage, and disguise decisions that pave the way for sectors pursuing illicit activities, such as illegal and informal mining," he said. "This decision supports those groups and harm all Peruvians."

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"Peruvian officials announce significant reduction of Nazca Lines protected area by 42%, causing apprehension surrounding potential harm to environment and cultural heritage"