An Ecuadorean Town Is Sinking Because of Illegal Mining
Americas Now • 15m
A town in Ecuador, aspiring to become a United Nations World Heritage Site, is slowly being destroyed by illegal gold mining.
Zaruma, in the country’s south, is collapsing. Huge sinkholes, created by mine shafts below, have swallowed the local school and brought down homes.
No one has been able to stop the artisanal miners burrowing beneath the village.
The government says it needs protection against the armed gangs that control the "wildcat business."
In the meantime, residual chemicals from the mines are polluting local rivers. That’s led to an international confrontation. Gerry Hadden has the report.
Up Next in Americas Now
-
Mexico launches an historic lawsuit a...
It's well-known that Mexican drug cartels are heavily armed. What's, not as well known, is their firearms are made in the United States. Mexico is suing weapon manufacturers in the U.S. for what has become an out of control crisis within its borders. Alasdair Baverstock reports.
-
Haitians trying to migrate to the Dom...
Haiti and the Dominican Republic share the island of Española in the Caribbean. According to the World Bank, Haiti is the poorest country in Latin America and the Caribbean. Its increasingly dire economic situation has caused a rise in migration to the Dominican Republic.
-
Migrants are dying along the route to...
As the migration crisis continues along the U.S. southern border, the dangers facing those seeking to enter the United States aren't only in Mexico. Some of the most perilous parts of the journey are on the U.S. side of the border. The crackdown by migration authorities over the years has forced ...
