Illegal mining in ChileIllegal mining is a concern in Chile. As of 2025 it was considered to be on the rise but still far below the levels of neighbouring countries like Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador and Peru.[1][2] In 2024 there were 20 formal complaints of illegal mining before the National Geology and Mining Service.[1] There is as of 2025 no large-scale illegal mining in Chile and most illegal mining is deemed equivalent to small-scale theft from prospects or closed mines.[1][2] Illegal mining in Chile lacks so far the typical structures of organized crime.[2] The fact that most small-scale mining in Chile focus on copper, which means handling large volumes difficult to smuggle or hide has been thought to be a contributing factor to the low levels of illegal mining.[3] State-owned company Empresa Nacional de Minería has also a role in disincentivise illegal mining among small-scale miners by providing them with; free legal advice, technical and financial assistance in addition to purchasing their ore.[2] The term chucullero is sometimes used pejoratively for artisan miners known as pirquineros who carry out illegal mining, but this is not always the case as chucullero also refers more generally to any pirquinero specialized in precious metals, mostly gold.[4][5] Some communes where illegal mining have been reported in the 2020s are: Hijuelas in Valparaíso Region, Illapel[6] and Ovalle[7] in Coquimbo Region and Copiapó and Huasco in Atacama Region.[1][8][9] The placer deposits of some areas of difficult access in Patagonia are also subject to sporadic small-scale illegal gold mining.[3] Llanos de Challe National Park had an incident of small-scale illegal mining in 2021.[8] Illegal mining is greatly overrepresented relative to legal mining in deadly accidents in Chile.[10]
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