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
-
Repsol Oil Spill is Devastating Peru’...
In mid-January, 2022, an oil spill covered Peru’s coast just north of the capital Lima. Peru has called it “The worst environmental disaster in recent history.”
It happened when an oil tanker was discharging oil into the La Pampilla refinery controlled by the Spanish energy giant Repsol.
Peru’s ... -
Preserving the Mayan-Era Melipona Bee
Bees have been around for literally thousands of years, producing sweet honey but, more importantly, helping keep our planet sustainable.
In Guatemala, one particular species of the honey bee harks back to the time of the ancient Mayan civilization, more than three thousand years ago.
Efforts a... -
When Being Poor Co-exists with Dangers
In the Caribbean and Latin America, 1 out of every 5 people are living in slums. These slums are also often referred to as "informal settlements" within cities. For a poverty-stricken population, the low cost of living in these neighborhoods and the chance to make a home, outweigh the dangers and...
