Corcovado National Park in Costa Rica is facing severe pressure from illegal gold mining activities. Authorities say remote, densely forested areas inside the park have become sites for criminal groups carrying out illicit operations. The activities are reported to have intensified as miners move into the area seeking high returns.
Officials cited the profitability of the trade, with each gram of illegally mined gold valued at ₡28,000 colones, or about $52. The same reporting links the influx of miners to the scale and persistence of the operations inside the protected area.
Equipment and reported infrastructure inside the park
Sergio Torres, head of the Prevention, Control and Protection Program, said miners are using advanced equipment during operations deep within Corcovado. He referenced power plants, power tools and metal detectors used to support extraction activities. Torres also reported that tunnels have been dug inside the National Park.
Torres added that advanced technology is being used to facilitate illegal mining within the protected area. He described these developments as part of an evolving pattern of activity occurring inside Corcovado’s forests.
Organized recruitment and camps for extended extraction
The illegal mining problem is described as having developed beyond isolated activity. Torres said criminal organizations recruit workers, often from vulnerable communities, and establish well-equipped camps inside the park. These camps allow miners to extract gold over extended periods before relocating to other areas.
Torres said addressing the situation requires additional capacity, describing minimal support and a lack of public security. He said more personnel and resources are needed to respond to ongoing operations.
Arrest patterns and cross-border movement of gold
The scale of enforcement actions is reflected in arrest data cited by the Prevention, Control and Protection Program. Officials said 70% of people arrested in connection with illegal mining in Corcovado had previous arrest warrants.
Minister of Security Mario Zamora stated that illegally mined gold is transported beyond Corcovado. He said it moves to other parts of Costa Rica and to neighboring countries including Nicaragua and Panama, where it is reported to enter international markets.
Reported environmental impacts in Corcovado
The environmental damage linked to illegal mining is described as severe. Authorities reported that large areas of forest have been destroyed as a result of the operations. They also said wildlife habitats have been harmed.
The reporting emphasizes that immediate action is needed to prevent further irreversible damage to Corcovado’s ecosystem. The protected area is characterized as irreplaceable based on its biodiversity value cited by officials.