As world leaders gather in Pará, Brazil, for COP30, Indigenous people in the same state are dealing with the health effects of mercury contamination from illegal gold mining. Maria Leusa Munduruku, an Indigenous woman and leader in her community, has been fighting who she calls “invaders” — those in the illegal trade releasing the toxic substance that can cause neurological disorders.
For Munduruku families, this pollution enters the body through food and water, and researchers warn that mercury exposure especially affects pregnant women and infants, including through the placenta and breast milk. Leusa Munduruku shares that adults are also suffering from malformations and neurological symptoms linked to mercury contamination.
Despite the long-awaited recognition of the Munduruku territory Sawré Muybu in 2024, the damage caused by years of mining persists, and the health impacts continue to be felt.
#COP30 #Mundurukuwomen #illegalmining #mercury
