THE CRUEL X-RAY OF THE ARMED GROUPS IN BAJO CAUCA: WHICH CRIMES ARE NOURISHING THEIR FINANCES?
By Jesús Antonio Blanquicet, EL TIEMPO, May 23, 2025
(Translated by Eunice Gibson, CSN Volunteer Translator)
During a meeting with communities affected by illegal mining and violence in Bajo Cauca (Antioquia Department), the Minister of Defense, Pedro Sánchez, reaffirmed the government’s commitment to combatting the criminal economies and making progress in the social and economic transformation of the countryside.
During his presentation at a security meeting in Caucasia (Antioquia) where a team from EL TIEMPO was present, Minister Sánchez emphasized that, “the solution to the structural problems in the region will not come only from the use of force.” Rather, it must be constructed with the active participation of the communities, as well as compliance with the law.
“That’s not a problem that the government alone can solve, nor can you in the communities alone. We have to solve this together, hand in hand,” said Sánchez, who was accompanied by the Command Staffs of the Army and Police, as well as the civilian authorities in the region, including the Governor of Antioquia, Andrés Julián Rendón
The new source of financing for the Clan del Golfo
One of the central thrusts of the Minister’s message was the impact of illegal mining on the environment as much as on the financing of the illegal groups. “The Clan del Golfo has been feeding on this illegal activity for years,” said Minister Sánchez, as he charged that the armed group “is turning to illegal mining to sustain their financing.”
He also explained that the Bajo Cauca area continues the illegal importation of machinery for the illegal extraction of minerals, in violation of legal and environmental regulations.
The Minister insisted that the Armed Forces are obligated to act against any commission of crime. “It doesn’t matter whether they steal a little or a lot, stealing is stealing. If the Police fail to act, that is an omission,” he announced. On the other hand, he did make clear that orders in the matter of security continue to be conclusive and there is no instruction of any kind to slow down the operations against the criminal organizations.
He also called for reflection by the citizenry and for their taking responsibility. “Let’s ask ourselves if our actions affect others. If we acted like those who invade the land of others and contaminate rivers, what kind of a country would we have?” he asked. And he added, “We might have some differences, but everyone should act according to the Constitution and the laws.”
In the same way, he committed to return in the future with tangible results: “I hope that in ten years we won’t have to see the environmental disaster that exists here now, but rather a self-respecting region, transformed and at peace,”
A diagnosis
During his term, Governor of Antioquia Andrés Julián Rendón said that illegal mining had become one of the biggest challenges to public order in Colombia, especially in regions like Bajo Cauca in Antioquia.
In Antioquia, almost 90% of the mining titles are not being exploited, a figure which, according to the Governor, illustrates a deep disconnect between mining law and the reality in the communities that live in the territories that are rich in minerals. “There are people here that know there is gold beneath their house, and because it’s impossible to get the title, they start to exploit it on their own,” he explained.
The Governor also said that the outlook is troubling when you realize that Colombia produces between 80 and 90 tons of gold every month, but only 60 are registered legally. The other 20 to 30 tons come from illegal operations, which represents criminal revenue of more than six billón pesos every year (roughly USD $1,450,000,000 at current exchange rates) according to official calculations. This money nourishes groups like the ELN, the Clan del Golfo, or the FARC Dissidents, all of whom extort the illegal miners, and divide the control of the countryside among themselves.
“The real bandits are not the ones that dig the gold with their hands, but the ones that come later and charge the extortions. And since this activity is extremely profitable, it’s plenty enough to pay the gangsters,” warned Sánchez, adding that the environmental impact is devastating. “In 2019, 19 illegal dredges were recorded in the Cauca River; today there are more than 100, every one of them is worth at least a million dollars.”
The Commander of the Armed Forces, Admiral Francisco Cubides, then gave thanks for the work the soldiers of the BR-11 Infantry Division, the Caribbean Naval Forces, and the Joint Command No. 5 are doing, highlighting their daily labors to promote regional security. “All the capabilities of the Armed Forces will be committed to the safety of the people that live in this region. We are going to attack the illegality. What is illegal has to be attacked. What is legal has to be promoted,” he underscored. The Admiral insisted on the urgency of improving the procedures for formalizing and legalizing economic activities, especially those related to the mining sector, so that taxes and royalties turn into tangible benefits for the communities in areas like health, education, and roads.