SOS Orinoco ~ Help save the Orinoco Region of Venezuela

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Devastation in Venezuelan Amazonas

The tragedy in the Orinoco Region of Venezuela

Find out about the tragedy that is occurring and take action to detain the unfolding human and environmental disaster

Monitoring the Venezuelan Amazon and Guiana Shield

Explore in depth and understand what’s happening in Southern Venezuela with our monitoring tools

Geoportal

This is our new app developed with our partners at VE360 to make our data available for visualization, analysis & discussion. Visit our new section & discover its uses.

Geoportal

Southern Venezuela socio-environmental observatory

Unveiling the Socio-Environmental Crisis in the Southern Orinoco: in close collaboration with Locals and Reporters for Regional Sustainability

Observatory

SOSExplorer

Explore the Land Coverages of the Venezuelan Amazon with Our Interactive Application.

SOSExplorer

The Facts

Historically, this region has alternated between neglect and attention on the part of Venezuelan rulers, both of which have had negative and positive results. During the past 20 years, the Chavista narcostate has shown fluctuating levels of attention particularly when both Chavez and Maduro were keen to find new sources of money. During this period, the government has tried to implement 6 programs in partnership with various countries.

The latest one being the Arco Minero plan announced on February 24, 2016 – to exploit the vast gold, diamond, coltan and other mineral reserves. The results have been catastrophic both for the region its people, the environment and will probably have tragic lasting- if not irreversible – effects on Venezuela and beyond.

The human and environmental abuses can be classified into five major categories:

Find out about the terrible health crisis in Southern Venezuela that is affecting indigenous populations that live in this area

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Read about how the Maduro Regime has relinquished large sectors of Southern Venezuela to non-state transnational actors including the Colombian guerrilla

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A human and environmental disaster.

Why Project SOSOrinoco?

The purpose of SOSOrinoco is to shed light on the existing body of work regarding the situation in the Amazonia and Orinoquia regions of Venezuela, to raise awareness of the tragedy that is occurring and to outline some urgent measures that need to be taken in order to halt the unfolding human and environmental disaster.

About Us

Venezuela, one of the top 10 “mega-biodiverse countries in the world but also highly mineral-rich is suffering probably the worst environmental crisis in the Western Hemisphere. Due to the progressive & definitive collapse of the oil-based economy, the Maduro regime has unleashed indiscriminate mining, causing deforestation, sedimentation and mercury poisoning of rivers, in total disregard for the preservation of the extremely delicate environment.

60 % National territory

The territory South of the Orinoco River – World’s 3rd largest river in volume - is located in Amazonia & Guiana Shield – one of the oldest parts of the planet & well known for its tabletop mountains called “tepuys”.

111,843 km2 Arco minero area

Equivalent to 12% of Venezuela’s territory – the size of Portugal - “The Mining Arc of the Orinoco” is the rubric for a criminal state extractivist mining policy that has unleashed anarchic mining operations, mainly gold and coltan.

173,989 ha Area of illegal mining

Venezuela is the Amazonian country with the second largest area of illegal mines - more than 2725 mining sectors -  Venezuela’s mining industry has turned into a vast organized crime scheme that involves all levels of political and military power structure.

Laws, decrees, political documents

All the most important and relevant laws, decrees and political documents regarding Southern Venezuela can be found in this section.

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