Havana, Cuba – Amid chronic economic crises and the devastating effects of harsh US sanctions that have pushed millions to the brink of destitution, Cuba is witnessing a rapidly growing phenomenon:
large numbers of its residents are turning to illegal gold mining sites.
These people are searching for ways to survive and secure their livelihoods.
According to Spanish-language media reports published at the beginning of September 2026,
random and private mining operations for the yellow metal are spreading like wildfire.
In fact, these operations are concentrated mainly in rural areas in the east of the country,
specifically in the provinces of Camagüey, Las Tunas, and Ciego de Ávila.
Poverty drove citizens to mine for gold
Although Cuban law considers gold a national strategic resource and restricts
its extraction exclusively to state-owned companies or licensed foreign entities,
However, worsening poverty has driven citizens to break the law, risking confrontation with the authorities.
This is due to the enormous financial returns generated by mining,
as a gram of refined gold is sold in the local market for more than 60,000 Cuban pesos.
Data from the National Institute of Statistics indicates that the average official monthly salary does not exceed 6,930 pesos.
Therefore, an illegal prospector can earn a whole month’s income in just two working days.
Therefore, this has even prompted young people working in livestock farming
to leave their professions and get involved in the prospecting fever.
Security repercussions and faltering government crackdowns
Conversely, this random influx resulted in serious side crises affecting public security and the environment;
Remote villages have witnessed a significant increase in crime and violence rates.
In addition, armed militias have emerged to protect illegal exploration fields,
and area residents have complained of chaos and lack of police patrols.
In addition to the security breakdown, there are growing major environmental concerns
about the pollution of water and soil sources due to the use of toxic chemicals such as mercury in gold extraction.
Despite the Cuban authorities launching extensive security campaigns
that resulted in the arrest of hundreds and the confiscation of equipment,
mining operations continue at an increasing pace.
There is also a prevailing conviction, summarized by one prospector who said:
“The desperation to survive is much stronger than the police, and in Cuba this desperation overflows.”
