FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Investigative Report Reveals Criminal Infiltration, Governance Failures in Guyana’s Deep South Rupununi Mining Sector
GEORGETOWN, Guyana – March 20, 2026 – A new investigative report to be released later today calls into question recent official narratives portraying mining in the Marudi Mountains as a model of community-driven development, revealing instead a sector plagued by criminal infiltration, regulatory collapse, and serious governance failures.
The report, “Marudi, Mercury, and Silence: Questioning Official Narratives on Mining in the Deep South Rupununi,” examines the gap between recent public statements by the Department of Public Information (DPI), the South Rupununi District Council (SRDC), and mining industry representatives, and documented evidence from law enforcement, court records, and independent oversight bodies.
Key findings in the report include:
· A Defunct Association Operating Without Legal Standing: The Rupununi Miners’ Association (RMA)—cited as the anchor of a 2021 regulatory agreement—is no longer a legally registered entity, yet continues to manage mining operations and collect fees in the Marudi area.
· A Convicted Brazilian Fugitive Operating Openly: Rodrigo Martins de Mello (“Rodrigo Cataratas”), sentenced in February 2026 to 22 years in a Brazilian federal prison for leading a criminal organization responsible for illegal mining, environmental destruction, and mercury poisoning in the Yanomami Indigenous Territory, has been photographed in meetings with senior Guyanese government officials and running mines in Marudi. The SRDC has admitted it was unaware of his criminal history until social media exposure.
· Transnational Criminal Networks Active in the Region: Operation Guyana Shield, a December 2025 coordinated law enforcement operation involving Brazil, French Guiana, Guyana, and Suriname, resulted in 198 arrests for illegal mining and money laundering. Authorities seized mercury hidden in solar panels and millions in undeclared cash, exposing the region as a hub for transnational organized crime.
· Illegal Airstrips and Environmental Harms: The SRDC’s own March 2026 meeting minutes document the presence of unauthorized airstrips in the Marudi area, rising malaria cases linked to mining camps, and unresolved concerns about mercury contamination and the distribution of community benefits.
· Regulatory Institutions in Crisis: The Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC) has not submitted audited accounts to Parliament since 2016 and, according to the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative (GYEITI), cannot account for billions in funds. Policy Forum Guyana has documented “deep-rooted institutional failures” within the commission.
· Unaccounted Gold and Benefit Distribution Gaps: The Guyana Gold Board has acknowledged that approximately 20 percent of gold production in the region goes undeclared—a vulnerability that enables money laundering and smuggling. Meanwhile, SRDC meeting minutes indicate that the distribution of the “10 percent community benefit” from mining remains unresolved, despite public claims of transparent management.
The report challenges recent DPI articles that presented mining in Marudi as a success story, noting that these official accounts omitted any mention of the Brazilian fugitive, the criminal networks exposed by international law enforcement, the illegal airstrips, or the documented governance failures at the GGMC.
“Residents of the Deep South Rupununi deserve a mining sector that is genuinely transparent, free from criminal infiltration, and accountable to the communities who bear the environmental and social costs of extraction,” the report states. “They deserve regulatory institutions that function, leaders who are accountable, and a government that does not hide inconvenient truths behind press releases celebrating printers and laptops while fugitives walk free and mercury flows into their rivers.”
The report calls for:
· An independent investigation into the operations of the RMA and the 2021 Marudi agreement
· Full disclosure of all meetings between Guyanese government officials and Rodrigo Cataratas
· Parliamentary oversight hearings on the GGMC’s missing audits and unexplained funds
· Immediate action to locate and dismantle illegal airstrips in the Marudi area
· A transparent, audited accounting of all community benefit payments from mining operations
The full report will be available on Guyana Anti Corruption Network site https://guyanaintegrity.com/
About the Investigation
This investigative report draws on court records from the Brazilian federal judiciary, documents from the South Rupununi District Council, statements from INTERPOL and the Guyana Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative, reporting from independent Guyanese media, and publications from Policy Forum Guyana.
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Note to Editors: The report is issued in response to recent publications by the Department of Public Information (March 20, 2026), statements by the South Rupununi District Council (March 7 and March 16, 2026), and claims made regarding mining operations in the Marudi Mountains. All sources are cited in the full report.
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