Venezuela deploys troops in mafia-run gold mining heartland

Venezuela stepped up its troop presence in its southern gold-mining region as the government moves to reopen the sector to foreign investment. 

The military bombed and opened fire on illegally controlled mines in the Las Claritas mining region in southern Bolívar state, according to Américo De Grazia, a former local lawmaker. These attacks forced miners to flee, he said in an interview. 

Venezuelan news outlet Tal Cual reported that special forces are carrying out operations to evict workers from unlicensed operations in the area. 

The International Crisis Group, an NGO which monitors conflicts, said it has received “numerous reports” of military activity in the area. The security forces have effectively sealed off Las Claritas town, while helicopters operate over nearby mining zones, according to analyst Bram Ebus. 

Local authorities have not commented on whether anyone has been killed or injured, or whether any direct clashes have taken place between security forces and the criminal organizations that control the area. The Information Ministry did not immediately respond to a request for comment. 

The intervention puts a spotlight on one of Latin America’s most lawless mining regions. Las Claritas and the surrounding area have long been dominated by criminal organizations that control access to gold deposits and enforce their rules with violence.

One of the most powerful groups in the area is a so-called Sistema led by alias “Juancho,” which exercises de facto control over mining operations, Ebus said. The region attracts thousands of Venezuelans seeking income amid the country’s prolonged economic crisis, including teachers, doctors and other professionals who have turned to informal gold mining to support their families, he added.

The Las Claritas deployment follows other military operations in Bolívar state, a mineral-rich region that borders Brazil. In May, state forces reinforced their presence in Los Pijiguaos, home to the country’s main bauxite mining operations, following reports of activity by Colombian guerrilla factions, De Grazia said. 

An Indigenous man lost his right leg after apparently triggering an antipersonnel mine planted by the Colombian groups, he said. The state that holds some of Venezuela’s most valuable deposits of gold, bauxite, coltan and rare earth minerals.

(By Fabiola Zerpa and Andreina Itriago)