Drugs, Gold and Guns Bring Terror and Death to 400-Mile Waterway in Colombia

Oct 16, 2019 | Billy Briggs
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For traditional communities on the River Atrato in the Chocó region, the snaking waterway is life itself, playing a central role in their cultural, economic and social lives. The Atrato runs the length of Chocó, in northwest Colombia, but illegal gold mining linked to the nation’s long-running internal conflict continues to wreak havoc in one of the poorest territories in South America. Humans, wildlife and the environment are suffering because Colombia’s peace process is failing.