Organized Crime and Illegally Mined Gold in Latin America
Description
"In the last year or two it has become clear that the nexus between organized crime and illegal mining of gold has resulted in a host of bad consequences; it funds criminal and terrorist groups, facilitates money laundering and corruption, forcibly displaces local populations, speeds environmental destruction and creates situations of labour exploitation, labour trafficking, and sex trafficking . In this report, “Organized Crime and Illegally Mined gold in Latin America”, it is our intention to: make a wide assessment of this ‘conjunto’ of problems; build on the reports of InSight Crime, Verité and SPDA; include within the scope of the subject not only the Amazon basin countries but also Mexico and Nicaragua; explore whether the 30% drop in international gold prices over the past 12 months has reduced illegal mining; see what international mechanisms have been employed to fight illegal mining, and make recommendations about what more can be done. The research on which this report is based was carried out between February and December 2015. Desk research focused on Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela. In Colombia and Peru, the two largest producers of illegal gold, Global Initiative researchers also conducted field research: a total of 47 interviews in Colombia and 29 in Peru, with a variety of government officials, representatives of local and international NGOs, academics and consultants, human trafficking specialists, members of local populations and indigenous groups affected by illegal mining, mine representatives, and workers employed in illegal mines."
Organized Crime and Illegally Mined Gold in Latin America
"In the last year or two it has become clear that the nexus between organized crime and illegal mining of gold has resulted in a host of bad consequences; it funds criminal and terrorist groups, facilitates money laundering and corruption, forcibly displaces local populations, speeds environmental destruction and creates situations of labour exploitation, labour trafficking, and sex trafficking . In this report, “Organized Crime and Illegally Mined gold in Latin America”, it is our intention to: make a wide assessment of this ‘conjunto’ of problems; build on the reports of InSight Crime, Verité and SPDA; include within the scope of the subject not only the Amazon basin countries but also Mexico and Nicaragua; explore whether the 30% drop in international gold prices over the past 12 months has reduced illegal mining; see what international mechanisms have been employed to fight illegal mining, and make recommendations about what more can be done. The research on which this report is based was carried out between February and December 2015. Desk research focused on Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Guyana, Mexico, Nicaragua, Peru and Venezuela. In Colombia and Peru, the two largest producers of illegal gold, Global Initiative researchers also conducted field research: a total of 47 interviews in Colombia and 29 in Peru, with a variety of government officials, representatives of local and international NGOs, academics and consultants, human trafficking specialists, members of local populations and indigenous groups affected by illegal mining, mine representatives, and workers employed in illegal mines."
