In 2023, Bolivia reached the highest level of deforestation in its history, with a primary forest loss of almost 500,000 hectares.
Fueling this destruction are out-of-control forest fires, the expansion of the agricultural frontier, rampant gold mining, and the construction of airports and drug laboratories in the middle of natural parks and protected areas.
The unrestrained plundering of timber and wildlife is also threatening the country’s biodiversity.
This investigation, conducted by InSight Crime in partnership with the Igarapé Institute — an independent think tank based in Brazil that focuses on current issues related to development, security, and climate — unravels the chain of environmental crimes driving deforestation and biodiversity loss in Bolivia.
Investigation Chapters
Bolivian Amazon Faces Threats From All Sides
Bolivia’s 60 million hectares of Amazon– which spans part of the departments of Pando, Beni, Cochabamba, La Paz, and Santa Cruz– boasts some of the basin’s most biodiverse wilderness.
Vanishing Trees and Lakes: Deforestation in Bolivia’s Amazon
Deforestation has reached alarming levels in Bolivia. The main driver of tree cover loss is the rise in slash-and-burn land clearance practices.
Protected Areas: Illegal Timber Strongholds in the Bolivian Amazon
For years in Bolivia, high-value woods like cedar and the mara variety of mahogany have been felled to feed domestic and international construction and furniture markets.
Drug Trafficking Creeps into Bolivia’s Amazon National Parks
Bolivia is the world’s third-largest producer of coca, after Colombia and Peru, and a key crossroads for cocaine and other drugs.
Gold Mining: A State-Sanctioned Scourge in Bolivia
Bolivia is in the midst of a gold rush caused by record gold prices and growing international demand.
The Poisonous Mercury Trade
Mercury, employed by miners to extract gold from soil and sediment, is smuggled daily in bottles across Bolivia’s borders with Peru and Brazil, reaching numerous illegal mining hotspots through the Amazon Basin.
Poachers’ Safe Haven: Bolivian Amazon Plundered for Wildlife
Bolivia’s rich biodiversity makes it a prime target for traffickers. It stands as one of the world’s most biodiverse countries.
