Venezuelan mining arc: criminal groups, military, and officials entrench control over gold territories

An investigation by Rebel Alliance Investigates and Convoca documents how organized crime, military personnel, and local authorities maintain overlapping control over gold-mining areas in Venezuela's Mining Arc, despite the weakening of some criminal structures. The report indicates a persistent, entrenched system of mafia governance rather than a disruption. This matters because it underscores the state's complicity in illicit economies, with implications for regional stability and international sanctions enforcement.