According to a United Nations report in 2021, illegal mining directly led to the destruction of more than 640 square kilometers (about 250 square miles) of vegetation in Colombia.

On the border between Colombia and Venezuela, just a few kilometers from Colombia’s Guainía department, illegal mining shakes the region’s economy while devastating the environment.

A group of women, part of Asociacion Nuestra Casa Comun, or Our Community House Association, go by boat to an area destroyed by illegal mining, on the Quito River, near Paimado, Colombia, Tuesday ...

Indigenous and rural communities from Peru’s northern Amazon have filed a formal complaint against the government for failing ...

Columbia remains a jurisdiction with excellent potential for mining companies and investors, but risks remain, while permitting delays persist. Peru, too, remained a leading jurisdiction for ...

Illegal gold mining has become the fastest-growing criminal economy over the past decade in South America. The boom began in Colombia and Peru and expanded to Ecuador, Venezuela and Brazil ...

Colombia’s deforestation dropped 33% in early 2025 compared to last year, with significant reductions in Amazon national parks.

Indonesia has revoked the permits of several mining companies in Raja Ampat following public outcry over environmental damage ...

The operation is both a blow to illegal mining and a strike at armed groups that profit from illicit mines in this conflict-ridden country. Colombia's war on illegal gold mines also hits outlaw ...

From the army helicopter circling overhead, Colombian security forces are able to spot several illegal gold mines in the jungle below.The armed forces ...