Congressman Cory Mills | Congressman Cory Mills Website
Congressman Cory Mills | Congressman Cory Mills Website
WASHINGTON, D.C. - In an effort to promote security and stability in the Western Hemisphere, Representatives Cory Mills (R-FL) and Sydney Kamlager-Dove (D-CA) have introduced the House companion to the United States Legal Gold and Mining Partnership Act. This legislation aims to cut off the mining revenues that Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro and Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega use to sustain their authoritarian regimes, as well as to combat transnational criminal networks involved in illegal activities such as narco-trafficking, human smuggling, and money laundering.
"Venezuelan dictator Nicolás Maduro relies on profits from illicit mining, trafficking, and commercialization of gold, which feeds a cycle of egregious human rights abuses throughout the region," said Rep. Mills. "The Maduro regime's close alignment with our adversaries, like China and Russia, has continued to propel their ruthless oppression."
The United States Legal Gold and Mining Partnership Act establishes a Partnership Strategy to investigate, identify, and penalize criminal linkages associated with illicit gold mining. The bipartisan legislation seeks to counter the corrupt financing of illicit actors and promote international cooperation in combating these illegal activities.
Congresswoman Kamlager-Dove emphasized the negative impact of illicit gold mining in Latin America and the Caribbean, stating, "Illicit gold mining perpetuates human rights abuses against indigenous communities, causes massive environmental destruction, and provides lucrative financing for transnational criminal organizations that threaten the rule of law and democracy across the region. We know that illegal gold mining has been directly linked to corruption, forced displacement of marginalized groups, biodiversity loss, deforestation, and serious public health issues."
As a member of the House Foreign Affairs Subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere, Rep. Kamlager-Dove expressed her pride in leading this bipartisan effort with Congressman Mills. The bill aims to comprehensively combat illicit gold mining and support Latin American partners in addressing this harmful practice that disproportionately affects vulnerable populations in the region.
To read the full text of the bill, click HERE.
For more information:
Alerts Sign-up