Vacíos en las políticas públicas y su incidencia en la expansión de la minería ilegal: Un análisis criminológico del control territorial ejercido por Grupos Delictivos Organizados (GDO) en zonas mineras del Ecuador

Abstract

Abstract: The growing expansion of illegal mining in Ecuador is structuring a complex phenomenon that not only spreads through the environmental and economic spheres, but also constitutes a structural problem of territorial governance and security on the part of the State. This research analyzes the impact and effects of gaps in public policies on the establishment of territorial control by organized criminal groups in the country's mining sectors from a criminological perspective. The investigation stems from the identification of regulatory, institutional, and operational gaps that hinder the State's ability to exercise effective control within Ecuadorian territory. Furthermore, these types of state shortcomings create favorable conditions for Organized Crime Groups to develop and carry out illicit activities. In this case, illegal mining becomes their primary source of funding for survival and expansion, resulting in violence, extortion, and various other crimes stemming from the power struggles among these groups.