Summer InSights – The Dragons of Chocó: Illegal Gold Mining in Colombia’s Rivers

In Colombia's lush Pacific region, the Quito River has become a battleground, where monstrous dredges tear into the riverbed, spewing mercury and arsenic into the waters. Gold prices are soaring, but the true cost is borne by the environment and local communities. The river’s riches attract criminal groups, like the Gaitanist Self-Defense Forces of Colombia, or Gaitanistas.

The Gaitanistas emerged from the ashes of Colombia’s paramilitary movement and have become the dominant criminal force in much of Colombia. The group’s top leader, alias Chiquito Malo, has overseen the group’s expansion, in spite of persecution by the authorities, open warfare with other criminal groups, and internal division within the organization.

This month, we’re diving into the extraordinary stories of some of the region's top criminal leaders in our annual series, Summer InSights. During August, our audio content is featuring narrated stories about these criminal leaders, the groups they lead, and the illicit economies they control.

The Dragons of Chocó: Illegal Gold Mining in Colombia’s Rivers | Written by Charlotte Newell and Juan Diego Cárdenas, and read by Liza Schmidt.

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