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- Title
Disarmament is the New War, Gold is the New Opium, and Ecohealth is the Historic Victim.
- Authors
Villar, David; Schaeffer, David J
- Abstract
In Colombia, the convergence of drug trafficking, illegal armed groups, and gold production and trade threatens peace and stability in the post-FARC (Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia) era, as had the narcotics trade previously. Armed groups and criminal organizations have increased and consolidated their influence over illegal mining and may be diverting US$5 billion from Colombia's annual economy. As of 2014, 46% of the total area (78 939 ha) exploited for alluvial gold was in the Afro-Colombian Pacific States, in which unregulated mining was the main driver of deforestation. The informal job market represents 49% of the workforce and absent other economic alternatives, this workforce of ex-guerrillas, organized crime groups and corrupt officials will sustain the black markets that permeate gold mining. Human health consequences of unregulated gold mining are largely unrecognized, but include the spread of malaria and other insect-borne diseases, and we suggest diseases such as babesiosis.
- Subjects
COLOMBIA; RISK of malaria; MINERAL industry laws; BABESIOSIS; BIOTIC communities; CONSERVATION of natural resources; ENVIRONMENTAL health; GOLD; MINERAL industries; POLLUTION; GOVERNMENT regulation; SUSTAINABILITY; DISEASE risk factors
- Publication
Environmental Health Insights, 2019, Vol 13, pN.PAG
- ISSN
1178-6302
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1177/1178630219862241