Illegal gold mining operations are expanding within Colombia's Paramo de Santurban, a critical high-altitude wetland that serves as the primary drinking water source for more than two million people.
New photographic evidence obtained by The Rio Times shows miners penetrating deeper into the protected ecosystem, raising urgent environmental and public health concerns.
The encroachment poses a direct threat to water quality and biodiversity in one of the country's most fragile ecological zones.
The expansion of these illicit activities undermines conservation efforts and increases the risk of mercury contamination in the water supply, which could have long-term health consequences for downstream communities.
This development comes shortly after the Colombian government issued two decrees on July 11 establishing the Mining Development Fund, known as FONMIN.
The initiative was designed to support the formalization and retraining of small-scale miners, aiming to bring informal operations into the legal framework.