Azuay Mining Controls Focus On Four Cantons After ARCOM Attacks

Illegal mining pressure in Azuay is getting renewed attention as national authorities face attacks and rising organized-crime involvement in the gold trade.

Two explosive devices detonated early on June 29, 2026, at ARCOM offices in northern Quito. That followed another attack in Machala, making it the second attack against the mining-control entity in less than a month.

Azuay Hotspots

In Azuay, the areas with the highest illegal-mining incidence are identified in Camilo Ponce Enríquez, Sígsig, Pucará, and Santa Isabel.

On July 8, military personnel and ARCOM carried out an operation in Camilo Ponce Enríquez. During that operation, they inspected two mining fronts and identified seven bocaminas.

ARCOM reporting also points to 2025 operations in Camilo Ponce Enríquez, Pucará, and the Santa Bárbara River basin. In November, the military operation Tormenta de Fuego included bombings of structures used for illegal mining in Pucará.

Bigger Pattern

Illegal gold mining has been described as an important financing source for organized-crime groups since 2022.

A government official cited by Ecuador's Organized Crime Observatory said there were fewer than 60 illegal-mining points in the country before 2018. By 2024, that number was above 652.

For Cuenca residents, the local angle is mostly regional risk. This is not only an Amazon or coastal problem; Azuay is one of the named provinces in the national map of illegal-mining pressure.