Informal, illegal, artisanal, traditional, ancestral: unraveling the intricate gold extractivisms in South American rivers

Abstract

Alluvial gold mining corresponds to extractivism. Beyond the different terms used to describe it, such as informal, illegal, artisan, traditional or ancestral, the instrument of analysis of the modes of appropriation is applied, to show that it is a diverse and heterogeneous issue. Considering three key criteria, twelve different modes were identified. Here, some highlights of these modes are noted, and a case study in southern Colombia is offered as an example. We estimate that more than 1.3 million people participate in these activities in at least eight South American countries. They are practices with severe social and environmental impacts, which have an extended and spotty spatial distribution, and frequently occur in breach of rights safeguards and with high incidence of violence. This heterogeneity in turn affects the proposals for alternatives.