Crystallex International

Of transnational crime and brought gold, diamonds and coltan Caura River
By: Correo del Orinoco / ANTV / RNV
Release Date: 04/28/1910
print it


In areas targeted by illegal miners, the remediation process will begin with the creation of barriers to prevent desertification.
Credit: Scarlet Soto and REDI Guiana


The harassment of the basin began eight months ago, confirms the holder of Environment, Alejandro Hitcher. The affected forest recovery may take 10 or 200 years. The National Assembly supports the operation initiated by the executive to protect the 480 000 km of territory on the right bank of the Orinoco. The Bolivarian Revolution will lead the gold mining in the basin of Cuyuni, but with a premise, highlights Hitcher: "If one gram of gold a gram threatens biodiversity, favoring gram of biodiversity"

April 28, 2010 - A quick Internet search will show that the word Caura is associated with tourism, beauty, unspoiled nature, environmental conservation. Actually, I was. Because last week, when Executive Vice President, Elias Jaua, initiated the Caura Plan, the area south of the country began to show his face less known: that of a victim of illegal mining in Venezuela.

The penetration of miners in the Caura River Basin (Bolívar state) began eight months ago, estimates of People's Power Minister for Environment, Alejandro Hitcher. Previously, it had focused on other rivers such as the Cuyuni and Caroni. The presence of gold and diamond prospectors in the Caura is described by Hitcher, without exaggeration, as an infringement upon the sovereignty, implemented by corporations and sectors of the oligarchy. He confirmed that the miners are gold, diamonds and coltan from the Caura.

"Teams used to extract gold are extremely expensive. One raft to get gold may cost 2 million Bs, "he said. "There is capital investment. And it is transnational capital that puts gold in the international market "by clandestine airstrips.

Caura Plan is an initiative of President Hugo Chavez himself, and has staff and resources, said Hitcher. Their purpose, first, is to stop mining in the south of the country, break down equipment and cut off all supplies (total control by the state, the supply of fuel), but also start mining conversion (allow miners to earn a living otherwise) and remedy the damage caused by this predatory activity. The government operation to rescue from destruction throughout the territory located on the right bank of the river Orinoco, ie some 480,000 square kilometers located in the states of Bolivar, Amazonas and Delta Amacuro.

Over 80 percent of illegal miners are foreigners, confirmed Hitcher. They come from Brazil, Colombia, Guyana and the Caribbean islands. "The enslaved, put them to extract gold. With this gold, sold illegally, are doing two things: stealing the country and damaging the environment and causing them to lose water and biodiversity. "

The work of the miners had a huge impact on forests. "Destroy the vegetation, destroys the topsoil, soil erosion," describes Hitcher. "In addition, mercury is used, which is a pollutant component to separate the gold from other material. The illegal mining "there is no safety for humans. It is the minimum investment with maximum profit. " That should change with the nationalization of mining and its constituency to the areas defined by the National Executive.

WATER FOR THE NEXT THOUSAND YEARS

Hitcher said that the Bolivarian Revolution has battled illegal mining. But emphasizes that now, with the Caura Plan, "I came to the illegal mining in Venezuela." He recalled the mining restructuring initiative in 2006, executed by the then Minister for Environment, Jacqueline Faria. "We had successes and mistakes," he admits.

According to the Minister, this is the ideal time for the Caura Plan, because the population is sensitive to the implications for the country, due to the generation of energy-any problem in the Caroni River. Note that this course of tea-colored water is on its "shoulders" the responsibility of ensuring 70% of national electricity consumption.

"Today, 27 million Venezuelans are aware that in the right bank of the Orinoco River is going to the country life," he emphasizes. Basins of the rivers as Ventuari, Caura, Caroni and Cuyuni harbor the highest biodiversity and water quantity in the world per square mile watershed. "

But this green wealth at risk. "If you want to kill a river erodes its source. And that is what they are doing the miners. To erode the nascent vegetative cover is lost and increases the sediment transport. "

So the first thing is to stop the predatory activity and apply the laws (current phase of the Plan Caura). In areas targeted by illegal miners, the remediation process will begin with the creation of barriers or rings, in order to prevent spread of desertification and forests continue to disappear.

Either way, not to create false expectations, the official warned that the recovery of affected areas may take a century or two. "I missed the topsoil, we must generate the plant floor again," he stresses. "We try to get the forest back to the desert over now."

As spokesman for the National Executive, said Alejandro Hitcher respecting the human rights of miners. This is evidenced by the participation of the Public Prosecutor's Office and several ministries, the military operation. He explained that the miners caught in the zone "are given 24 hours to leave the area, destroyed equipment and are given the option of taking the mining conversion plan, so they can earn a decent living." Those who are apprehended in the act applied to them "the full weight of the law." If they are of another nationality, they are deported immediately.

The correspondent of the Correo del Orinoco in southern Venezuela, Scarlet Soto, confirmed that so far 2126 people have been displaced. 21 camps have been eliminated from illegal miners.

Oil is the resource of 200 years "to Venezuela, Case hydraulic engineer. "But right bank of the Orinoco that have natural resources to the country of a thousand years." As long as mining do not disappear.
STATE exploit gold without damaging the environment

The State shall establish a mining company engaged in gold mining, with the use of green technology, confirmed the owner of the Environment, Alejandro Hitcher. "Just as there is a company, Petroleos de Venezuela, which is the only one that uses oil in the country, there will be a national company that will use the gold in the country."

Hirsch said that the operation will only Cuyuni River areas where mining has been developed, but there are two key differences from past practice: the activity will be limited to the National Government and undertaken in a sustainable manner (by underground). "If one gram of gold a gram threatens biodiversity, favoring gram of biodiversity," he promised.

http://www.aporrea.org/actualidad/n156182.html