Survival, Profit, and War: The Many Faces of Gold Mining in Colombia

Colombia is rich in gold. The great majority of it is extracted through informal operations, many considered illegal, that proliferate across the country— from the Pacific lowlands to the Amazon to the coffee-growing region in the state of Caldas, where the Don Leo mine was located. Tragedies like the one at Don Leo are among the reasons the government has launched a “formalization” process to improve conditions and standardize practices at informal mines. Environmental contamination from informal mining —which often involves the use of mercury, cyanide, and other chemicals— is another reason. In addition to these concerns is the fact that illegal gold mining has become a major source of financing for armed paramilitary, guerrilla, and criminal groups.
https://nacla.org/news/2015/11/09/survival-profit-and-war-many-faces-gold-mining-colombia