Illegal Exploitation of Gold and Coltan in Indigenous Territories

This project explores the reality of indigenous peoples, located on the Inírida River in Guainía, where the exploitation of minerals has generated epidemics and diseases due to the pollution of the river.  As the miners continue their quest for gold, they leave behind them large areas of destroyed forest, affecting the natural habitat of wild animals and the traditional activities of the natives such as fishing and hunting. 

Transnational networks in Colombia, Venezuela, and Brazil, supported by armed groups (dissidents of the ex-FARC and ELN guerrilla) and settlers, exploit the labor of indigenous people and illegally extract minerals that are then taken to markets of the big cities like Bogotá. The intermediaries use licences granted by the government to launder and transport the goods.