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Update | Current Gold Mining Situation in 2020 at Canaima National Park, A World Heritage Site in Venezuela

In the initial SOS Orinoco report, published in July of 2018, describing mining activity inside Canaima National Park (CNP), a World Heritage Site (WHS) recognized by UNESCO, the authors characterized and explained this phenomenon as being a consequence of the current Venezuelan government’s political strategy of promoting mining activity amidst an economic, social and political collapse that the regime itself has created and promoted. This document is an update of that first report, where the authors endeavored to describe what has happened in CNP and what has been the institutional response from UNESCO, IUCN and the Venezuelan government itself.

This report presents a new and preliminary analysis of the environmental impact of the mining activity in CNP, taking into account present mining activity in CNP, as well as in adjacent areas, and its impact on the Kukenán and Caroní river basins, considering the ecological, biodiversity, scenic, socioeconomic and institutional contexts.

Our research for this update to the 2018 report demonstrates that gold mining activity continues to expand inside Canaima National Park, a World Heritage Site, as well as in surrounding areas. One year and seven months after publicly denouncing the unacceptable presence of mining operations inside CNP, it becomes increasingly evident that the Maduro regime has no political interest in banning these mining operations that are destroying Venezuela’s natural and cultural heritage.

  • This update shows that the current (March 2020) gold mining situation in Canaima NP, a World Heritage Site, rather than diminish, continues to accelerate. Read full update
  • Esta actualización demuestra que la situación actual (marzo del 2020) del fenómeno minero en el PN Canaima, Sitio de Patrimonio Mundial, lejos de disminuir, continúa en expansión. Lea informe actualizado

Our position on
the Orinoco Mining Arc

Arco Minero del Orinoco

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.