Illegal gold miners have taken approximately $1.5 million in gold from the Crucitas mine. The Ministry of Environment and Energy will have official numbers by the beginning of the year. This figure is part of a plan to address, in coordination with over 12 government entities, the social and economic problems of the local population.
The Crucitas mine was granted in concession to the Canadian firm Industrias Infinito. The authorization to extract gold, however, was cancelled following irregularities. The firm left in 2015.
The gold miners came soon after and this practice skyrocketed in mid-2017. 4,000 people have entered the hills to take gold, which is sold for $1,250 per ounce. In 2017, 1,290 people were detained by the Public Force. 180 were charged with infraction to the Mining Code, drug possession, illegal carrying of weapons, and infringement of the Public Health Law.
