Colombia News: Illegally Mined Gold Fuels Human Trafficking & Forced Labor

Illegal mining creates more social issues in Colombia as it fuels forced labor and human trafficking organized by syndicates, paramilitary groups and guerrillas.

According to Aljazeera US, the so-called "blood gold" in Colombia continues to attract unpleasant situations among locals, including working at gunpoint, force extraction of legal miners or worse - death.

Back in 2014, the outlet recalled that as much as 30 workers died working in the same mines after a landslide occurred.

The worst part of it is that many of these victims were buried alive and were not given any chance of a proper burial from their families.

Now, illegal mining is rapidly booming again, as a Santander de Quilichao community leader reveals how it all started.

"The machines came in at night a few days ago," the community leader told Aljazeera, requesting for his name to be kept confidential for fear that the death threats he had received would be made a reality.

According to the informant, the machinery to be used for the operation was brought into the community secretly in order to avoid any preventive action from the locals. 

Aside from that, armed men stood guard along the mines; their claim that everything is "totally normal and peaceful" is undermined by the machetes they wield.

"There are no armed groups here. This is all artisanal mining in this area, but you have to go now," one of them reportedly declared.

According to Mining.com, the Colombian government estimates illegal mining produces approximately 80 percent of the total amount of gold extracted from the country.

This caused unfavorable results to the locals who are given two options should they decide to go against the armed groups that take over their livelihood: displacement or death.

In fact, traditional miner and anti-criminal mining invasion advocate Francia Márquez proved this to be true. She fled the region after several gunmen tried to kill her.

"When they are following you or threatening you, you know that they could kill you at any time," she told Aljazeera.

As of the most recent statistics cited by Aljazeera, Colombia currently has over 6 million internally displaced citizens and now ranks second all over the globe following Syria.

"The war here is for our gold. That is their target, and it has impacted us in a very cruel way," the Santander de Quilichao community leader added, noting that those who lived in Cauca witnessed horrific levels of suffering in their locality alone.