Colombia reports expansion of mostly illegal alluvial gold mining
- The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime reported that mostly illegal alluvial gold mining in Colombia expanded 4.5% in 2025, reaching 118,410 hectares and marking the third consecutive year of growth.
- According to the UNODC report, 'Seventy-five percent is illegal,' with only 21% holding technical or environmental permits and 4% in the process of becoming legal.
- Afro-Colombian communities faced 61% of the increase in exploitation, while production was detected across 30 Indigenous reserves, affecting Black Colombians and Indigenous people who historically suffer from poverty and conflict.
- Energy Minister Maria Nohemi Arboleda warned that illegal mining destroys forests and pollutes rivers, stating, 'It is a confrontation between the state and criminal economies that use gold to finance violence.'
- Almost 79 municipalities with alluvial gold mining also had coca cultivation, making the industry the second-largest source of financing for illegal armed groups after Drugs trafficking, according to security sources.
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In 2025 alluvial gold exploitation was recorded at 118,410 hectares. It is an increase of 4.5% compared to the 113,310 hectares of 2024. The post Alluvial gold exploitation grew by 4.5% in 2025: Unodc appeared first on La Silla Empty.
Colombia reports expansion of mostly illegal alluvial gold mining
Mostly illegal alluvial gold production in Colombia expanded 4.5% by area year-on-year in 2025 to 118,410 hectares, with the increase primarily on Afro-Colombian communities' land, a report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and the government showed on Friday.
BOGOTÁ (AP) — The illegal exploitation of alluvial gold in Colombia increased by 10% in 2025 compared to the previous year, a joint report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime warned on Friday...
The illegal exploitation of alluvial gold in Colombia increased by 10 per cent in 2025 compared to the previous year, a joint report by the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime and the government warned Friday.
This illegal economy is also largely combined with areas with coca crops because of the weak presence of the State.
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