Communities in the Colombian Amazon, such as Chorrobocón — near the Venezuelan border — have begun exploring critical minerals as an economic alternative to gold extraction. Coltan, tin, and rare earth elements appear to offer a different path, but not a risk-free one. The struggle for control over these strategic resources plays out not only between the United States and China, but also among businessmen and armed groups who impose their will through violence, to the detriment of local communities. This documentary explores the promises and threats facing those who want to enter one of the most geopolitically coveted markets of our time.
Gold has long been abundant in the Colombian Amazon, but reserves along certain rivers (illegally exploited for years) are running dry. Indigenous communities involved in mining have begun looking elsewhere, and critical minerals have caught their eye. These materials are plentiful on their lands and, in theory, offer a different vision of the future.
For years, these communities have borne the blame for the environmental damage caused by gold extraction, an activity classified as a crime, particularly in Colombia’s protected Amazon regions. Working with mercury takes a toll on human health and on the surrounding environment: once it reaches rivers and wildlife, its toxicity compounds and the risks multiply. Extracting black sands is different. These sediments contain coltan, tin, and other minerals essential to the clean energy transition and emerging technologies, and their extraction requires no mercury at all.
The rare earth boom has reached even the most remote corners of the Amazon, including Chorrobocón, a Puinave community in Guainía, Colombia, where mining is the only viable source of income.
In this second instalment of our series on critical minerals, we speak with indigenous miners, community leaders, experts, and authorities to examine what rare earth elements could mean for communities like this one, and what it costs to enter the world’s most fiercely contested market.
You can watch the first part of the series, “How Critical Minerals Are Fueling Conflict in the Amazon,” and explore the full special report, “The Price of Progress: The Dark Side of Critical Minerals in the Amazon.“
