Petro’s reveals strategy to change Colombia’s socio-economic model
How Colombia’s judicial reform seeks to solve prison...
Colombia’s chief prosecutor says paramilitaries kidnapped, interrogated investigators
Colombia’s war crimes tribunal to press criminal charges...
Colombia jails US citizen on femicide charges
Colombia preparing tropical paradise for tourism after 500...
Hacktivists leak 178,000 documents from Colombia’s military
Colombia sentenced for exterminating political party
Colombia’s capital Bogota awarded for failing crime policy
OAS urges Colombia to release people arrested over...
  • About
  • Support
  • Newsletter
  • Contact
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion
(Image credit: Wikiwand)
News

Colombia wages ‘historic’ crackdown on rebel mines

by AFP August 17, 2016
3.4k

Colombia’s  authorities said Tuesday they have dealt a major blow to leftist guerrilla army ELN’s finances with a “historic” military operation against illegal gold mines.

President Juan Manuel Santos said on Twitter that two people had been arrested and 26 excavator machines confiscated in raids on illegal mines in the southwestern department of Cauca — a “high-value target,” he wrote.

“We calculate that the ELN and other armed groups were extracting 18 kilograms (40 pounds) of gold a day through illegal mining. One kilo is worth 115 million (Colombian pesos),” or about $38,000, said Defense Minister Luis Carlos Villegas.


Tracing Colombia’s gold from savage jungles to Swiss watches

Groups active in illegal mining in Cauca

FARC

ELN

AGC / Urabeños

Rastrojos

The army called it a “historic operation” and a “significant blow” to the finances of the ELN and other armed groups.

A recent report by the Colombian Mines Association found that 88 percent of the 50 tons of gold produced each year in the country comes from illegal mines.

Colombia is the scene of a more than five-decade conflict that has drawn in leftist guerrilla groups, right-wing paramilitaries and criminal gangs.


Southwest Colombia protests continue as govt fails to act on illegal mining

The various armed groups use drug trafficking and illegal mining to finance themselves.

After nearly four years of peace talks, the government is close to signing a peace deal with the largest guerrilla group, the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia (FARC).

It has also agreed to hold talks with the ELN, or National Liberation Army, the second guerrilla group. But formal negotiations have not started.

armed conflictCaucaELNillegal mining

Trending

  • Colombia jails US citizen on femicide charges

  • Colombia’s war crimes tribunal to press criminal charges over failed plot to extradite former FARC chief

  • Petro’s reveals strategy to change Colombia’s socio-economic model

For patrons

Downloads for patrons

Related articles

  • Colombia sentenced for exterminating political party

  • Colombia’s government and ELN rebels overcome “crisis” in peace talks

  • Colombia’s FARC dissidents captured 5 soldiers during ceasefire: military

  • Twitter
  • Email
  • Rss

@2008-2019 - Colombia Reports. All Rights Reserved.
Powered by Digitale Zaken and Parrolabs


Back To Top
Colombia News | Colombia Reports
  • News
    • General
    • Analysis
    • War and peace
    • Elections
    • Economy
    • Culture
    • Sports
    • Science and Tech
  • Travel
    • General
    • Bogota
    • Medellin
    • Cali
    • Cartagena
    • Antioquia
    • Caribbean
    • Pacific
    • Coffee region
    • Amazon
    • Southwest Colombia
    • Northeast Colombia
    • Central Colombia
  • Data
    • Economy
    • Crime and security
    • War and peace
    • Development
    • Cities
    • Regions
    • Provinces
  • Profiles
    • Organized crime
    • Politics
    • Armed conflict
    • Economy
    • Sports
  • Lite
  • Opinion