Absolutely. Let me start with the part about the trafficking of these illicit minerals. There are several ways in which these armed groups work in collaboration, really, and in complicity with the Venezuelan security forces. First, these minerals are essentially sold to the state mining company. From there, they are exported to the countries that Venezuela exports the largest amount of gold to. Previously, this included China, but it's also countries in the Middle East and elsewhere.
The other way these minerals are essentially extracted and moved back into the legal supply chain is through the border with Colombia. This is one of the many reasons that for groups such as ELN, control of this border area is fundamental. For example, in the case of coltan and other critical minerals, these minerals are moved across the border from the Amazonas state into Vichada in Colombia, where they are essentially registered as if they were extracted in Colombia, and then they're exported through a legal process to China, in many cases, but to other buyers as well.