Kinship and precariousness in gold mining in Chocó, Colombia

Abstract

This paper explores why it has been possible to consolidate mechanized gold mining at the expense of artisanal mining in ethnic territories. It conducts a case study of Chocó, Colombia, where careful ethnographic work made it possible to find a gold production and trade network, which links traditional kinship bonds and precarious living conditions with the global dynamics of gold exploitation. Using a specific empirical construction, it presents a comprehensive framework of the dynamics of gold exploitation at national administrative centers, which are culturally, institutionally and infrastructurally disarticulated.