The Poisonous Mercury Trade
Mercury, employed by miners to extract gold from soil and sediment, is smuggled daily in bottles across Bolivia’s borders with…
Gold Mining: A State-Sanctioned Scourge in Bolivia
Bolivia is in the midst of a gold rush caused by record gold prices and growing international demand. This gold…
Bolivian Amazon Faces Threats From All Sides
In Bolivia, prospectors are digging craters and poisoning rivers in Madidi National Park. This natural treasure stretches from the Andes…
Q&A: How the AGC Threatens Colombia’s Plans for Total Peace
One of Colombia’s biggest criminal groups is expanding its reach, threatening to disrupt the government’s peace processes with other armed…
Venezuela 2024: Elections and Criminal Consolidation
It is an election year in Venezuela, and President Nicolás Maduro is determined to cling to power. His criminal alliances…
Peruvian Gold Mining Gangs Launch Increasingly Brazen Attacks
The growth of gold mining gangs in Peru’s La Libertad province has led to a deteriorating security situation, with unprecedented…
Illegal Gold Mining Continues Threatening Yanomami Land in Brazil
Authorities have discovered further illegal mining operations on Yanomami Indigenous lands in Brazil, casting doubt on efforts put forth in…
3 Takeaways From Transparencia Venezuela’s Illicit Economies Index
The Venezuelan government’s failure to prevent the proliferation of organized crime groups means four illicit activities now generate an income…
Gold Mining in Colombia Increasingly Tied to Organized Crime: Report
A recent report analyzing alluvial gold mining in Colombia suggests that the role of organized crime groups in this industry…
Q&A: How Sand Trafficking in Brazil Became a Highly Lucrative Crime
Brazilian authorities have launched a series of operations targeting illegal sand extraction as part of a renewed commitment to fighting…