A prominent Mexican activist turned government official recently called attention to the ties between organized crime and the nation's mining industry, sounding an alarm that has grown increasingly loud in…
The vast majority of gold in Colombia's mines is extracted illegally, according to one expert, underscoring the importance of this illegal economy as the country prepares for a new chapter…
An investigation in Ecuador has revealed how the country has become a major transit hub for illegal Peruvian gold exported to the United States, an evolution directly linked to Peru's…
A multi-year investigation has revealed that up to 70 percent of mining in Colombia is illegal, a statistic that brings home the importance of tackling this criminal industry as part…
The findings of a recent report highlight the disastrous environmental impacts of unregulated gold mining in Colombia and its geographical correlation with coca cultivation, two criminal economies the country must now…
A new report documents 2015 as the worst year on record for murders of land and environmental defenders. Latin American countries were among the most dangerous for activists, in part…
The arrest of a Brazilian national who is both a registered miner in Colombia and the alleged ringleader of an illegal mining structure illustrates the nebulous…
Peru's presidential frontrunner Keiko Fujimori is courting the country's sizable illegal mining population ahead of the upcoming election, a new report states, but activists fear her proposals will only accelerate environmental…
The Peruvian government has announced a 60-day state of emergency in the southwestern state of Madre de Dios due to mercury contamination linked to illegal mining, highlighting the environmental dangers…
A recent report describes how the Sinaloa Cartel used gold sales to move drug trafficking profits from the US back to Mexico, shedding light on a practice that has become…
The death of a gang leader allegedly responsible for the massacre of over a dozen gold miners in Venezuela represents a step forward for the official investigation. However, there is…
Witness testimony implicates a recently captured emerald baron in the planning of a daring bomb attack against a competitor in Colombia's capital city, another sign of how deeply enmeshed the…