Venezuela is one of the countries most affected by political and economic crises in history, this is reflected in its government and society. Although the country has one of the largest oil reserves in the world, the collapse of the economy and the crippling sanctions of the United States have put another highly appreciated resource in their sights: gold. Bloody gold and corruption from Venezuela As the Venezuelan people struggle with food shortages and power outages, a privileged group gains wealth, including its president Nicolás Maduro. In Venezuela, gold has replaced the bolivar—legal tender of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela—which is almost worthless. In this country, even a haircut is paid for in gold. According to CNN, in Caracas, gold allows Maduro to buy the loyalty of the military. To extract this metal, miners have to convert the rocks in the mines into powder, from the beginning of the day to the end. Their work is very heavy, coupled with the danger represented by a network of violent gang members sponsored by the state and corrupt military, who have control of the territory.
Like blood diamonds in Africa, the gold that is extracted from Venezuela, outside of any protocol, is bloody gold,” General Manuel Cristopher Figuera, former head of the Bolivarian National Intelligence Service (Sebin), told CNN . In November 2018, Nicolás Maduro announced a plan called the "Golden Plan" which allowed Venezuela to obtain a benefit of almost 5 billion dollars annually. Gold will strengthen our international reserves and national finances. Nicolas Maduro Violence and Argentina Mobile Number List corruption in Venezuela The violence experienced in the country is mainly due to mining, since the sector has attracted armed groups, the presence of so-called "unions", along with the lethal and violent actions of police and military agents in the area. , said the Venezuelan Observatory of Violence (VOV) in its 2018 annual report. Maduro has run illegal mining operations in this region, and granted thousands of Venezuelans liberal access to the mines in order to buy their loyalty. Maduro has been able to prevail in power due to the support of the military. Mines run by criminal gangs Groups made up of young people fight among themselves for control of the territory and charge the miners for everything they extract.
Some charge from 30% to 50%, while others' rates are flat, regardless of what the miners can extract. If the miners do not pay, there are serious consequences: " They cut you, they torture you and those who speak are mutilated, killed and thrown into the mine holes." His accusations are confirmed by a high-ranking military source with direct knowledge of the situation. “To survive in that place, you must carry a weapon,” adding that those carrying heavy weapons buy them or steal them from the military. “This didn't used to happen in Venezuela,” he said. Letting officials benefit from the gold business has allowed Maduro to “corrupt public servants and military officials in all power structures to perpetuate his government,” said Cristopher Figuera, one of President Maduro's most trusted generals. who has already joined the opposition movement. It is worth mentioning that the United States accused the president and his family of obtaining personal benefits from mining operations. In Venezuela, not only has violence spread throughout the country, corruption has also become present: most mining sites operate under illegal conditions, with little regard for health and safety standards, and a total indifference to its environmental impact.