Thousands of small-scale miners in Peru blocked roads and camped outside Congress on Monday to demand extension of a program that allows them to operate temporarily, but which authorities say has expanded illegal mining.

Peru's Congress removed Energy and Mines minister Romulo Mucho from his post on Tuesday as protesters from small-scale miners in the Andean nation camped out at the legislature's building in the capital and intermittently halted traffic throughout the south.

Peru’s Congress on Tuesday fired the energy and mines minister over a bill the government had introduced to increase oversight on informal miners that had prompted nationwide protests.