What Happened After The New York Times Found a Cartel Mine on a Colombian Military Base
The New York Times • • world
Key Points:
- A gold mine called La Mandinga, controlled by the Colombian drug cartel Clan del Golfo, operates adjacent to a Colombian military base.
- Despite the proximity to the military, miners openly conduct illegal gold mining activities, even extending onto the military base itself.
- Drone images revealed miners using high-pressure hoses to mine gold within the boundaries of the Rifles Battalion 31 base, contradicting official denials.
- The base commander, Col. Daniel Echeverry, denied any illegal mining activity on the military base despite clear visual evidence.
- This situation highlights significant institutional failures in preventing illegal mining in Colombia.
