The government announced on March 20 that it has dismantled a large-scale illegal mining operation in Podocarpus National Park. The action was carried out by the Ministry of Environment and Energy, the Mining Regulation and Control Agency (ARCOM), and the Armed Forces during a seven-day interagency operation.
The operation, called “Operación Podocarpus,” took place from March 8 to March 12. Authorities destroyed 94 mine entrances, 129 camps, and equipment used for gold processing within this protected area. The intervention targeted remote sectors such as San Luis, Dos Camas, and La Aida, where both extraction and primary mineral processing were found inside the park.
Officials said they discovered an organized infrastructure with non-technical underground galleries lacking safety conditions, posing a high risk of collapse. Manual tools, ball mills known as “chanchas,” and four sluice boxes for separating gold-bearing material were also identified. This indicated that illegal activities included on-site mineral processing.
The affected area is classified as free of mining concessions but showed evidence of illegal occupation within the National System of Protected Areas. According to ARCOM’s technical report, there is now a critical environmental liability due to uncontrolled accumulation of solid waste such as plastics, mineral transport sacks, and textile residues discarded onto slopes and waterways. These actions have directly impacted the ecosystem and highlight the need for environmental remediation efforts.
Authorities plan to strengthen monitoring and surveillance mechanisms in the intervened zone because of the risk of reoccupation given its high economic value. The government said this operation reaffirms its commitment to protecting designated areas, combating illegal mining, and conserving strategic ecosystems like Podocarpus National Park.
