ILLEGAL AMAZON MINING AS A TRANSNATIONALLY RELEVANT ORGANIZED CRIME

Abstract

Illegal mining in the Amazon constitutes a serious socio-environmental threat, responses to which require an understanding of its historical roots, its transnational complexity, and the political challenges arising therefrom. This article argues that only through an integrated approach is it possible to effectively address the phenomenon in the contemporary context. The paper is structured in three parts. First, it examines the historical evolution of mining in Brazil, from colonial cycles to the current legal framework, demonstrating how weak oversight, insufficient law enforcement, and socioeconomic marginalization have contributed to the expansion of illegal mining. Second, in light of the Palermo Convention (2000), it is argued that this activity should be characterized as transnational organized crime. Finally, the article discusses the dilemma between addressing the complexity of the problem and avoiding interference by external actors, contending that the most appropriate response lies in cooperative regional institutional and normative arrangements, as provided for in the Amazon Cooperation Treaty (1978) and the Belém Declaration (2023).