Ecuador official denounces illegal mining after deadly conflict

"We aren't defending illegality," the group said. "We have reiterated on numerous occasions the need to legalize small-scale mining and that any government intervention on indigenous territory should be coordinated … to look for solutions and avoid the spilling of blood."
As the prices of gold, silver and other precious metals have skyrocketed in recent years, illegal mining has become an increasing environmental, health and organized-crime problem for Ecuador and other countries, including Colombia and Venezuela.
http://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-ecuador-illegal-mining-20131109,0,7521777.story#axzz2k9RJId7z