A COLLABORATIVE enforcement operation involving multiple government agencies has led to the arrest of a Brazilian national for illegal gold mining within the Iwokrama Protected Area, reaffirming Guyana’s commitment to safeguarding its natural heritage.
On November 1, 2025, officials from the Guyana Geology and Mines Commission (GGMC), the Guyana Police Force (GPF), and Iwokrama Rangers conducted a joint operation in the Iwokrama Forest that resulted in the arrest of Flaviano Teixiera-Costa, a Brazilian national allegedly engaged in unauthorised mining activities.
According to the Iwokrama International Centre, the operation was part of ongoing efforts to curb illegal gold mining within the protected area, a challenge that, while reduced over the past year, continues to persist.
Authorities have noted an increasing number of foreign nationals entering Guyana under the guise of vacationing, only to participate in unlawful mining operations. Jose Do Santos Silvino was apprehended during an operation on October 8, 2025.
During the latest enforcement exercise, several individuals reportedly fled the scene. However, investigators recovered passports belonging to four other Brazilian nationals believed to be involved in the illegal activity. They have been identified as: Jailson Ferreira Lima; Iago Silva Alves; Jose Antonio Rodrigues Dos Santos and Jose Do Santos Silvino.
In a statement, Iwokrama reiterated that gold mining is strictly prohibited within the Iwokrama Forest under the provisions of the Iwokrama Act of 1996, which outlines penalties for violations within the protected area.
The Centre underscored that illegal mining poses a serious threat to Guyana’s ecological integrity, disrupts local livelihoods, and undermines the country’s forestry and protected area management systems. It warned that such violations “will not be tolerated,” and announced its intention to publish the names and photographs of individuals found conducting illegal mining within the reserve.
Iwokrama’s management also expressed appreciation for the continued support and co-operation of the Ministry of Natural Resources, GGMC, GPF, the Protected Areas Commission, and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), noting that collaboration remains key to protecting Guyana’s globally significant rainforest.
“The Iwokrama International Centre remains resolute in its mandate to protect this unique ecosystem for current and future generations,” the statement affirmed.
The Iwokrama Forest, one of the world’s last remaining intact tropical rainforests, continues to be a model for sustainable forest management and biodiversity conservation — a legacy that illegal mining activities threaten to compromise.