Illegal gold mining in Venezuela causing deaths, malaria, gang fights and deforestation
A three-year recession in Venezuela paired with ramping inflation and food shortages has prompted many mining for gold in mafia-run illicit operations.
The Asian country ranks in the top ten for coal, iron, and gold. It holds vast reserves of copper, it’s a well-known diamonds exporter and holds the 11th largest proven reserves of both oil and natural gas.
Steady diamond demand in the United States, paired with an ever growing appetite from China and India set to cause a major gap in global supply and demand, says report.