An examination of Venezuela's gold trade has uncovered extensive risks related to human rights abuses, environmental destruction, and the entanglement with criminal economies. The OECD highlights that since Venezuela's mining industry was nationalised in 2011, criminal activities have increasingly infiltrated the sector. Gold's high value, portability and difficulty in tracing makes it a perfect medium for illicit finance, meaning that the mineral is a crucial target for organised crime groups throughout the country. This explains a rapid increase in illegal mining that has caused widespread deforestation and environmental damage in protected areas, including the Venezuelan Amazon. A report by the Pulitzer centre explains this, also underlining the extent to which organised crime groups, including mafias and guerillas, control these illegal operations, notably creating clandestine airstrips to export their loot to foreign countries. The environmental impact of these criminal activities is immense. Gold mining is causing hydraulic ground erosion, deforestation, and the inappropriate use of mercury, according to Mongabay. Mercury contamination has been found in the blood, hair, and tissues of local communities, causing serious health issues.