Peru’s Gold Rush: Wealth and Woes is a short documentary produced for PBS NewsHour by Stephen Sapienza. It investigates the environmental destruction and social challenges caused by illegal wildcat gold mining in Peru’s Madre de Dios region. The film explores how the rush for gold has devastated virgin rainforest, polluted rivers with mercury, and disrupted local communities. It also highlights the complexities of enforcement in this remote region, where the promise of quick wealth drives both migrants and organized groups to exploit the land.