Venezuela Fuels an Amazon Gold Rush With Petrodollars Drying Up
- Mining area has more than tripled since March 2019, NGO says
- Officials redouble work on mining camps as oil output plummets
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U.S. sanctions and a collapsing oil industry are prompting Venezuela to step up its push into gold mining, including in protected areas of the Amazon.
The amount of land used for mining has more than tripled since March last year, according to a study by local non-profit Wataniba. Activity is poised to accelerate further after the authorization in April of new lots in five rivers.