Outdated and destructive mining techniques in Las Claritas Mines and illegal mining is spreading uncontrolled, devastating the environment along the way and increasing malaria to epidemic numbers, toward World Heritage Site Canaima National Park and Imataca National Park

Downstream from Icabarú, one can see more deforested mining sites along both banks of the Icabarú, and also another settlement with an unpaved landing strip. At the confluence of the Icabarú and Caroní rivers there is a small settlement with a dirt runway for light aircraft, and one can also see mining sites located inside, as well as outside of Canaima National Park. Miners die on a regular basis as a result of being buried alive as flimsy cliffs collapse from the action of pressurized water jets ejected by the monitors used in the hydraulic mining method

The Pemón People of La Gran Sabana, Bolivar State, Venezuela have been on the forefront of the struggle to allow the entry of humanitarian aid. In this remote Southern region of Venezuela, that borders with Brazil, where the indigenous peoples of Venezuela are amongst the most vulnerable and are suffering the consequences of the collapse of health, education, nutrition and security of the regime of Nicolas Maduro, Emilio Gonzalez, mayor of Santa Elena de Uairen (on the Venezuelan-Brazilian border) told Reuters that the Pemon people were unarmed but determined to let in humanitarian aid from Brazil.

Two thousand hectares of Yapacana National Park’s surface is being subjected to gold mining activity, a case of extreme ecocide. The impact on its ecosystems manifests itself not only on the surface area that has been directly destroyed but also as the radial and expansive effects caused by the more than 2,000 miners currently occupying the national park. This makes Yapacana the national park that, without a doubt, has suffered the highest level of destruction.

As the Maduro Regime attempts to maneuver around sanctions that are limiting its ability to produce revenues via PDVSA, they are trying to ramp up gold, diamond and coltan production, circumvent the Central Bank of Venezuela by smuggling these conflict minerals through Colombia, Aruba, Bonaire and Curaçao and lately direct flights to Turkey, in order to export the minerals directly to Turkey and Iran.

Documentary by Miguel Yabrudes I October 28, 2018 (Spanish) I A documentary series about the Arco Minero del Orinoco, a major mining project and source of massive environmental devastation in Venezuela, which was approved by the Maduro government in 2016 in search of funds to stay in power.

On September 10, 2018, briefer Marshall Billingslea, Assistant Secretary for Terrorist Financing, U.S. Department of the Treasury made a presentation at an informal Arria-formula meeting of the Security Council that focused on the pervasive corruption in Venezuela that has led to instability and a humanitarian crisis, a key aspect of which is the current Gold Rush that is devastating the environment and indigenous peoples.

In recent years there has been an increase in information pertaining to a boom in gold mining activity within Canaima National Park (CNP), a World Heritage Site (WHS). Furthermore, this situation falls within the context of a strategic policy of the current Venezuelan government that promotes mining activities over vast geographic areas, and encompasses all mining categories.

Mapa de las 15 minas de oro ilegales dentro del Parque Nacional Canaima (Patrimonio de la Humanidad) Map of the 15 illegal gold mining sites inside Canaima National Park (World Heritage Site)

Recent satellite images (May 2018 reveal and confirm the location of the illegal mining site Maraya inside YAPAKANA National Park in Amazonas State (Venezuela) where any type of mining is forbidden in the 1999 Constitution of Venezuela. Criminal illegal mining in this state is not only allowed but exploited by the Venezuelan Armed Forces, in particular by the regional command REDI Guayana.

This past week the presence of ELN guerrillas has been confirmed in the the town of Guasipati, Edo. Bolivar. This is far east of the border between Colombia and Venezuela, confirming what has long been suspected and rumored, that the government of Venezuela has lost control of our national sovereignty and has probably made a deal with the ELN, allowing it to make incursions way inside Venezuelan territory.