Gold mining in Brazil's amazon: Artisanal miners vs. mining companies

"If they go on mining, they will make the whole project unviable for us by the damage they do," a shareholder of the Brazilian company told the BBC.
But the miners say they would be "ruined" if they can't produce gold. Many of them have been there for decades.
Artisanal mining operations are often criticized for their effects on the environment. It's estimated that illegal activities have destroyed about 40,000 hectares of rainforest in Peru alone.
Illegal mining operations are also often extremely violent. As the Guardian has reported, when miners strike a big gold deposit, their lives are in danger.
"If you find a lot of gold in the garimpos you keep quiet – very quiet. A single shout of triumph can amount to suicide," the Guardian writes. 
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