Only 37% of Colombia’s miners are legal, said the country’s energy and mining ministry Tuesday.
“During the [2010-2011] census, 14,357 ‘mining production units’ (UPM) were identified. 37% of them have a title to work in the mines,” Carlos Arce, a mining official said on the ministry’s website.
“The departments with a high concentration of untitled UPMs are Antioquia, Bolivar, Boyaca, Choco, Cundinamarca, Magdalena and Cauca,” the offcial specified.
The government has set up a National Agency for Mining that is in charge of formalizing mining companies and end illegal mining.