Venezuela's Orinoco Mining Arc, a vast region estimated to hold $100 billion in untapped minerals like gold, diamonds, and coltan, is characterized by a dangerous mix of militarization and illegal mining.
President Nicolás Maduro's creation of an "Economic Military Zone" to oversee mining has led to the military's deep involvement, not just in protection but in mining operations themselves, often competing with armed gangs and local communities. This has resulted in violent conflict and concerns over environmental destruction in one of the Amazon's most biodiverse areas, including protected national parks.
Small-scale miners, often driven by the country's economic crisis, face exploitation, dangerous conditions, and criminalization. Despite claims of restoring order, evidence suggests the military's involvement is a "facade to continue the fraud" and deepen the theft of minerals, with a significant portion of gold being illegally mined and smuggled out of the country, often allegedly by the army itself.
The situation poses a severe risk to the environment and local populations.
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