SocietyPeruvian cardinal calls $150m lead-poisoning settlement a ‘historic milestone’

Cardinal Pedro Barreto has described a $150m out-of-court settlement as a “historic milestone” for 1,373 Peruvians allegedly poisoned by a toxic smelter during childhood. The payment will come from Doe Run Company, the smelter’s operator and a subsidiary of Renco Group. Barreto spent almost 20 years challenging the US mining company’s operations in the Andes. During that campaign, he faced repeated death threats and harassment.

Perulead poisoningout-of-court settlementmining pollution

TThe Guardian★★★☆☆2026-08-05 10:40Original