Illegal mining is a concern in Chile. As of 2025 it was considered to be on the rise but still far below the levels of neighbouring countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.[1] In 2024 there were 20 formal complaints of illegal mining before the National Geology and Mining Service.[1] There is as of 2025 no large-scale illegal mining in Chile.[1] Illegal mining is greatly overrepresented relative to legal mining in deadly accidents in Chile.[2]

The term chucullero is sometimes used pejoratively for artisan miners known as pirquineros who carry out illegal mining, but this is not always the case as chucullero also refers more generally to any pirquinero specialized in precious metals, mostly gold.[3][4]

Some communes where illegal mining have been reported in the 2020s are: Hijuelas in Valparaíso Region, Illapel[5] in Coquimbo Region and Copiapó and Huasco in Atacama Region.[1][6][7]

Llanos de Challe National Park had an incident of illegal mining in 2021.[6]

List of lethal accidents in illegal mining in Chile since 2010
Date Deaths Mine/mining district Cause of death Commune Reference
February 28, 2025 3 Jesús María mine Rockfall Copiapó [1]
December 18, 2024 2 La Fe Carbon monoxide poisoning Hijuelas [7][8]
September 4, 2020 1 Cavilolen Rockfall Illapel [5]
January 10, 2011 2 El Indio mine/El Indio Gold Belt Rockfall Vicuña [4]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e Guzmán, José Tomás (2025-03-04). "Minería ilegal en Chile: Las cifras detrás del tipo de extracción que terminó en un derrumbe fatal en Copiapó". Emol (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-05.
  2. ^ "Sernageomin hace enérgico llamado a no ejercer actividades mineras sin respectivos permisos". Sernageomin.cl (in Spanish). 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  3. ^ "chucullero". Tesauro Regional Patrimonial (in Spanish). Centro de Documentación de Bienes Patrimoniales. Retrieved 2025-03-07. Término utilizado para designar, por lo general, a pirquineros especialmente dedicados a la tarea de extraer pequeños volúmenes de oro. El término también se usa de forma negativa para identificar a los extractores ilegales de metales preciosos.
  4. ^ a b "Dos muertos deja derrumbe en pique minero clausurado". Minería Chilena (in Spanish). 2011-01-11. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  5. ^ a b "Fatal accidente minero se registró en Illapel". Reporte Minero & Energético (in Spanish). 2020-09-04. Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  6. ^ a b González Encina, Verónica (2022-02-21). "CDE presenta querella por minería ilegal en el Parque Nacional Llanos de Challe". Reporte Minero & Energético (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  7. ^ a b Gómez S., Rodrigo (2024-12-18). "Qué se sabe del accidente químico en mina ilegal que dejó tres muertos en Hijuelas". La Tercera (in Spanish). Retrieved 2025-03-04.
  8. ^ Minera irregular en Hijuelas se denunció un mes antes de la muerte por intoxicación de dos trabajadores en faena La Fe
Allikas: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Illegal_mining_in_Chile
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