Villanueva is the first municipality of La Guajira that has a Special Reserve Area (AREs) for traditional informal mining exploitation and that at the request of the mining community, The National Mines Agency temporarily delimited it for the exclusive use of the twenty-two miners who have been accredited in the trade for more than five years., as indicated by law.

The determined support of Corpoguajira, like each of the municipalities that have artisanal mining operations, was decisive for MinMinas and the National Mining Agency to make official the declaration of the Special Reserve Area (AREs) after compliance with the procedures required for these cases. The Special Reserve Area (AREs), in Villanueva was delimited and declared to carry out geological-mining studies that allow identifying its potential..

Currently, work is being done on the development of work plans and the environmental license process to aspire to have the mining title within the year.. These processes have had the supervision and permanent support of Corpoguajira.. Geological studies of the area provide miners with technical knowledge of the site where they are mining., allows you to develop a work plan, works and an environmental management plan to obtain your degree.

It can be stated that these actions have the purpose of bringing informal and artisanal miners to good practices., to have environmental guides, formalize their activity and have better controls; In short, well-done mining is an engine of the economy and job creation..

The next step is to promote good practices in exploitation required by the program and promote the formation of a cooperative or associative company that allows them to formally work in mining activity legally.. It should be noted that Corpoguajira accompanies other productive units found in the Department to achieve the mining formalization process that contributes to the sustainable use of resources..