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Villa Brazil (also Villa Brasil[1]) is a garimpeiros (illegal gold prospector) village in the Boven Saramacca resort of the Sipaliwini District of Suriname.
Villa Brazil | |
|---|---|
Gold mining village | |
  Villa Brazil Location in Suriname | |
| Coordinates: 5.00843°N 55.52441°W | |
| Country |  Suriname |
| District | Sipaliwini District |
| Resort | Boven Saramacca |
Gold was discovered in the Rosebel area in 1879. More than century after, in 2004, a commercial exploitation started at the Rosebel Gold Mines.[2] Illegal gold miners started to exploit the Matawai area near Nieuw Jacobkondre.[1] Villa Brazil was founded illegally by Brazilian gold miners, and contains dwellings for the gold miners and several commercial shops.[3]
The village has become known as an area with a high rate of crime.[4][3][1] Complaints of the nearby villagers who had rely on a police station in Kwakoegron have resulted the establishment of a police station in Nieuw Jacobkondre in 2014.[1] Concerning morbidity, malaria is prevalent in the village.[5] In late 2020, Villa Brazil was at the centre of a COVID-19 outbreak.[6]
The gold mining is performed by building of sluice boxes. Mercury is poured over the dirt with bare hands.[7] The method leaves much gold undetected, and therefore some miners are using metal detectors.[8] The mercury pollution in the area is both an environment problem, and a health hazard.[9] Most of the gold gets transported to the North of Paramaribo where the gold buyers are located.[9] In 2021, a badge system was introduced, which requires gold miners to be registered, and gold buyers to track the source of the gold.[10]
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