Gold has been mined in the area surrounding the small Costa Rican town of Las Juntas for over 100 years.
Minors process the Gold using mercury in their own backyards alon.
Conditions in the mines are even more dangerous.
Today the large-scale Mining operations are gone, but the old tunnels are still worked by local Artisanal miners or coligalleros as they are called in this town.
In the beginning, large-scale North American Mining companies exploited the people who worked for them.
Gold has been mined in the area surrounding the small Costa Rican town of Las Juntas for over 100 years