Historia, situación actual y desafíos de la minería aurífera artesanal y de pequeña escala en la región litoral del Ecuador

Abstract

The present work of Curricular Integration focused on analyzing the history, current situation, and challenges of artisanal and small-scale gold mining in the Literal region of Ecuador in relation to political, socio-economic, and environmental aspects. For the development of this research different methodologies were used. With respect to the historical context and the current situation, techniques of bibliographical revision and grey literature were used, applying search parameters such as the delimitation of years and keywords. In addition, field interviews with semi-structured questions to mine workers, local authorities, and villagers were carried out in order to know the current situation. The topics addressed in the questions were: population displacement, loss of livelihoods, demographic fluctuations, cost of living, water accessibility, and health effects. Finally, in order to establish the main challenges of artisanal and small-scale gold mining, a validation technique of expert judgment was carried out, composed mainly of teachers, researchers, and students who teach the subject. The main results show that in the mining areas of San Lorenzo and Portovelo-Zaruma illegal mining activities were developed despite its prohibition, which triggered several social conflicts. Also, the presence of heavy metals such as mercury in the water resources was demonstrated, generating water shortages and illnesses for the people. The study concludes that in the Literal region most of the rivers located in the extraction areas are polluted, which is why it is recommended to implement socialization to educate miners to use feasible techniques in the processing of gold and thus reduce environmental impacts.