The Mining Arc, Five Years Later: What Actually Changed

The Orinoco Mining Arc was announced with grand promises of investment and development. Five years on, the picture is grim.

What the numbers show

Armed groups control most of the operations. Mercury contamination has spread far beyond mining sites. Local communities have been displaced.

When a state abandons a region, someone else will occupy it.

Reclaiming the south is one of the largest challenges any future government will face.