In Las Claritas, the heart of Venezuela’s mining region, cracks began to appear in the alliance between organized crime, political power, and security forces. A military operation targeting mines controlled by illegal armed groups, followed by the U.S. announcement of the alleged killing of Tren de Aragua leader “Niño Guerrero,” signals an attempt to reconfigure power in southern Venezuela, a strategic region due to its vast gold reserves and its role in the new negotiations between Caracas and Washington.
Tag: Armed groups
Armed groups threaten Indigenous lands in southern Venezuela
In Venezuela’s southern Amazon region, Pemón Indigenous communities are caught between encroaching armed groups and illegal gold miners.
Dredges: Gold mining spurs crime & corruption on Brazil-Colombia border
Miners dredging millions of dollars in gold from Brazil’s Puruê River devastate the environment and attract armed groups.
Welcome to the Amazon Underworld
The Amazon, the largest rainforest in the world, is also a source and transit point for illegally extracted jungle resources and narcotics. As criminal economies expand, violence and deforestation worsen