In Ecuador, a perilous new gold rush is unfolding, fuelled not by prospectors but by organised crime syndicates. Once-isolated mining towns across the nation have transformed into hotspots of violence, extortion, and exploitation. The promise of gold has turned these regions into battlegrounds, as rival factions vie for dominance over illegal mining operations, often leaving innocent workers trapped in the crossfire.
This crisis is particularly evident in the country’s mineral-rich provinces, where entire communities are under siege. Armed groups have taken control of mines, compelling labourers to work in harsh conditions and resorting to murder against those who resist. A harrowing incident that underscores the human toll of this turmoil involved the recent rescue of 49 individuals, including women and a child, who had been held captive in an illegal mine deep underground.
