October 8, 1935 - Víctor Carranza
Colombia's emerald trade in the Boyacá region operated for decades under Carranza's control, a dominance built not only through commerce but through the violent conflicts — known as the "emerald wars" — that accompanied it. His associations with paramilitary groups and allegations of ties to right-wing death squads placed him at the intersection of legitimate industry and organized violence, a combination that made him one of the most powerful and legally scrutinized figures in Colombian economic history. The scale of his influence over a single resource, and the human cost attached to that influence, is what earns him a place in this record.
From Wikipedia
Víctor Carranza Niño (8 October 1935 – 4 April 2013), often referred to as Don Víctor was a Colombian emerald dealer and the owner of emerald mines in the Boyacá mountains (a forested area not far from Bogotá), widely known as Colombia's "emerald czar." The economy of the area around the mines is dependent on the trade. Carranza faced several legal challenges and investigations throughout his life. In 1998, he was arrested and imprisoned on charges of forming paramilitary groups. In 2012, he was again investigated for alleged links to paramilitary activities and crimes such as homicide, forced displacement, and conspiracy.
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