Gold to die for ...

[ConceptualizedNetherlandr]

BBC News - The malaria mines of Venezuela

However, the mosquitoes are not the ones to blame. The boom of illegal mines means more people eroding the rainforest, cutting trees and creating stagnant waters to extract gold. A perfect breeding grounds for mosquitoes.

 

[tamrock]

Interesting story. It's all in the dream of striking it rich I guess. (A miner here can easily earn as much in a week as a professional in the capital Caracas earns in a month). That pretty much says it all on why they'd subject themselves to these extreme conditions. You'd think they'd pool some of the wealth and improve there conditions. Not sure I'd be all that pleased with the housing conditions.