South Americas biggest illegal goldmine. Brazil, Garimpo Eldorado Do Juma. Driven by the gold fever Venicius Perfira de Sousa came to Eldorado do Juma from the neighbouring state Rondonia almost 50 days ago. At this point he still hasn't earned anything.-
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Eldorado do Juma was once covered by untouched rainforest; what is known as virgin rainforest. But the virgin was transformed into a mud hole of mine pits when a host of poor Brazilians arrived in the thousands. The first ones came in 2006, and since then primitive wooden houses, bars and brothels have been shooting up. At its peak, 3 to 400 kilos of gold were hosed up from the red soil every week. Back then there were approximately 8000 gold-diggers or garimpeiros as they are called in Brazil. Today, just a few years later, the output is about 10 kilos per week.
