Southern Venezuela’s Bolívar and Amazonas states have become the epicentre of a sprawling illicit gold economy. Criminal syndicates, Colombian guerrilla groups, and rogue Venezuelan soldiers compete, and often collaborate, for control of mines that generate vast profits amid global gold price highs. As Venezuela’s sanction-inflicted economic collapse deepens and political conflict grinds on, small‑scale miners, many displaced from other regions, labour under the thumb of whoever controls the pits. These mines have become contested zones where violence, extortion, and exploitation are routine.  While Caracas claims to be cracking down on illegal mining, evidence suggests that military deployments largely reshuffle who profits. Soldiers frequently impose “taxes,” seize mines for personal enrichment, or enter informal arrangements allowing guerrillas to retain control in exchange for favours. When Venezuelan crime networks, known as sistemas, are displaced, they move deeper into the rainforest, accelerating deforestation and the spread of unregulated mining.