Online Event: Illegal Mining in Venezuela: Death and Devastation

As the humanitarian and political situation in Venezuela deteriorates, the country's remote southern region is embroiled in an illegal mining crisis that is fueling human rights abuses, harming the environment, and posing a security threat for the region. In the mineral-rich south, non-state armed groups, gangs, and the Venezuelan military are competing for control of precious metals, using forced labor and archaic mining practices that are devastating the Amazon rainforest. This practice is propping up the Maduro regime at the expense of Venezuela's biodiverse ecosystems and indigenous communities. 

In April, CSIS, in collaboration with Freedom House, published a policy brief titled, "Illegal Mining in Venezuela: Death and Devastation in the Amazonas and Orinoco Regions ." This virtual event will shed light on the findings of this brief and feature a panel with policy experts and high-level decision makers from the United States, Colombia, and civil society organizations.

Note: The maps in the PowerPoint presentations used during this event were created by the individual speakers and not by the CSIS Americas Program.