A crowd of people has rushed to search for gold in the waters of a river in the province of Granma, following the news of a supposed discovery of the precious metal in the area.
The Cuban opposition figure José Daniel Ferrer García shared a video on Facebook this Monday that shows dozens of people of various ages gathered at the Buey River of Yao, also known as the Yao River or Buey River, between Bayamo and Buey Arriba.
The images show numerous participants in the water, some sitting and others leaning over metal containers and basins, seemingly stirring and examining the sediments at the bottom.
People are also seen on the banks, while others continue searching at different points along the riverbed. The gathering extends along a stretch of the river surrounded by vegetation.
The gold rush erupts in the Yao River, or Yao Bull River, or simply Bull River, between Bayamo and Buey Arriba, Granma, Cuba," Ferrer wrote when sharing the recording.
The opposition member explained that the mobilization would have begun after someone found gold at the site.
"Someone found gold, the news spread, and look how the river turned out.", he added.
The images depict an unusual scene due to the number of participants gathered in one area, many of whom are likely driven by economic desperation and the hope of finding, among the river silt, even a small amount of gold that they can turn into cash to alleviate their needs.
The possibility of finding small particles of the metal has sparked similar incidents in various Cuban provinces, where rumors about alleged deposits prompt dozens of people to mobilize.
However, the search for and extraction of minerals in Cuba is subject to state regulations, and carrying out mining activities without the appropriate authorizations can have administrative and criminal repercussions.
Cuban legislation establishes that mineral resources belong to the State and that their exploitation requires the appropriate authorizations.
Law 76 of Mining regulates these activities and, in its Article 18, states that it is the responsibility of the Council of Ministers or its Executive Committee to grant mining concessions, as noted in an .
For its part, Decree 222 of 1997, the Regulation of the Mining Law, develops the applicable provisions for these activities, including the procedures and obligations of the concessionaires, as stated in .
Therefore, finding potential gold particles in a river does not automatically grant a person the right to extract or trade them on their own.
Cuban authorities have been targeting illegal mining for years, particularly in the eastern regions of the country.
In June 2021, it was reported that 115 people had been prosecuted for activities related to illegal gold extraction and other minerals during 2020 and the first quarter of 2021.
The performances were primarily concentrated in Guantánamo, Holguín, and Las Tunas, in areas where there were remnants of old mining operations or deposits of alluvial gold.
On that occasion, officials from the Ministry of Energy and Mines explained that these activities could lead to fines, confiscation of tools and minerals, or legal proceedings, depending on the circumstances of each case.
They also warned about the environmental damage that clandestine mining can cause, particularly when riverbeds are altered, large amounts of sediment are removed, or polluting substances are used.
The so-called gold rush has had other striking manifestations in Cuba.
In March of this year, neighbors in Santiago de Cuba began scraping the wall of a house on Ateneo Street after rumors circulated that the sand used in its construction might contain small particles of gold.
The episode attracted many people who came in hopes of finding the metal, although it was not officially confirmed that gold existed in that structure.
In October 2023, more than 60 people were detained for illegal gold extraction in Ciego de Ávila, during operations related to the clandestine exploitation of mineral resources.
Filed under: