A representative from the Peruvian Ministry of Energy and Mines said this weekend that the country is ready to start mining uranium in the southern Puno region. During a workshop on uranium mining targeted at public service personnel, Martha Vásquez, head of the Mining Management Division at the ministry, said that the country is well-equipped to responsibly exploit the radioactive mineral.
Uruguay's Ministry of the Interior Saturday issued a nationwide alert for the theft of a tub containing radioactive material. According to the communiqué, 100 millilitres of radioactive iodine (iodine 131) contained in a tub of 3 kg of lead (lead is used as shielding material to prevent the spread of radioactivity) were stolen.