Operations against illegal mining in Colombia

Last week, the Colombian armed forces carried out a raid on the Inírida River against illegal mining in the department of Guainía. According to El Tiempo, the Colombian authorities arrested 24 people and destroyed 12 dredges that were being used to illegally mine gold. The planning of the operation took two months, with the intelligence supplied by the Colombian Air Force, which noticed the illegal mining taking place in the Puinawai natural reserve.

The forces involved in the raid were mobilized from some distance and had to travel in stealth to avoid alerting the illegal miners. The raid revealed that the FARC’s 16^th Front was actually responsible for the illegal mining operations, which used mercury, causing significant damage to the local environment.

However, the FARC are not the only illegal armed group in Colombia that has gotten involved in the lucrative gold mining trade. Insight Crime reported that the Urabeños criminal organization has also begun managing illegal gold mines. Late last week, the Colombian police raided a mine on the border with Panama that was allegedly run by Urabeños members.

In oil-related news, Colombian daily El Espectador published an article detailing the 30-year history of the oil industry in the Colombian department of Arauca and its famous Caño Limón oil field. Between 1986 and 2015, oil extracted from that field produced 3.6 trillion pesos in profits. Although the Caño Limón has since been overshadowed by the country’s Rubiales oil field, in its day, it boosted the Colombian oil industry and filled the country’s coffers.