Ecology – Summaries of news and views OnVenezuela https://onvenezuela.com Thu, 15 Jun 2023 19:56:07 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.5.5 https://onvenezuela.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/cropped-Screen-Shot-2019-12-20-at-12.31.03-PM-1-32x32.png Ecology – Summaries of news and views OnVenezuela https://onvenezuela.com 32 32 Seven things to know about Venezuela’s environmental crisis. https://onvenezuela.com/venezuelas-environmental-crisis-is-getting-worse-here-are-seven-things-to-know/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=venezuelas-environmental-crisis-is-getting-worse-here-are-seven-things-to-know Wed, 14 Jun 2023 14:21:33 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=16615

Venezuela is facing serious and wide-ranging environmental issues that have been largely unaddressed for the past decade. These issues include illegal mining in the Amazon, national water shortages, climate change-induced mudslides and flooding, degradation of protected areas, oil spills, and human rights violations against Indigenous communities. The government institutions responsible for tackling these problems either lack the necessary funding or turn a blind eye to their responsibilities, leading to a highly urgent situation in Latin America.

The Venezuelan Observatory for Political Ecology (OEP) highlights that the socio-environmental crisis in Venezuela continues to be ignored by political and economic decision-makers despite its obvious nature. The lack of transparency in the government further complicates the understanding of the extent of the environmental problems. Local NGOs, journalists, and scientists have attempted to shed light on the situation.

Oil spills have become more frequent in Venezuela, with the government failing to take appropriate action. Chevron was granted a license to operate and export oil from state-owned facilities, but increased production has put additional strain on the already deteriorating infrastructure. Lack of oversight and transparency exacerbate the problem, forcing researchers to rely on social media, satellite imagery, and testimonies to track spills.

Mining activities, particularly gold mining, are causing severe deforestation in Venezuela’s rainforests. Despite international criticism, the government emphasizes the importance of the mining industry without conducting environmental impact studies or consulting Indigenous communities. The majority of mining activity is illegal, and the destruction of forests, accompanied by threats and attacks on Indigenous communities, is a significant concern.

Deforestation in Venezuela is not limited to mining but also includes unregulated cattle ranching, farming, and timber trafficking. Scarcity of natural gas has led to the use of charcoal as a cooking fuel, resulting in the cutting down of forests. The wealthy elite’s unregulated tourism in national parks and coastal areas further degrades protected areas.

Venezuela’s waste management system is collapsing, with insufficient infrastructure and maintenance to handle the growing waste production. Trash often ends up in open-air dumps, contaminating rivers and ecosystems. Potable water is also becoming increasingly scarce, with a significant portion of the population exposed to contaminated drinking water and forced to use recycled water due to shortages.

Climate change exacerbates all of Venezuela’s environmental problems, leading to extreme weather events, such as mudslides and flooding, and causing displacement and destruction of farmland. The most vulnerable populations, particularly those in poverty, are disproportionately affected by these environmental challenges.

Overall, Venezuela is facing a dire environmental crisis, characterized by a lack of government action, insufficient funding, and a disregard for the rights and well-being of Indigenous communities. Urgent measures are necessary to address these issues and protect the country’s natural resources and vulnerable populations. Full article by Maxwell Radwin -> Mongabay

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El estado v enezolano promueve un ecocidio https://onvenezuela.com/el-estado-v-enezolano-promueve-un-ecocidio/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=el-estado-v-enezolano-promueve-un-ecocidio Thu, 18 May 2023 14:00:00 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=16548

por VisualPolitik

Ecocidio es una palabra cada vez más asociada a Venezuela. La minería ilegal perpetrada por grupos criminales está provocando graves daños en la Amazonía con la complicidad del régimen de Nicolás Maduro. Además, el medio ambiente venezolano también padece los problemas por los que atraviesa la petrolera estatal PDVSA, con grandes dificultades económicas e inmersa en un nuevo escándalo de corrupción. Así que la pregunta es: ¿Qué está pasando con PDVSA? ¿Quién está detrás de la minería ilegal? En este vídeo te lo contamos. Video -> VisualPolitik

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Fighting to save Venezuela’s Orinoco Crocodile https://onvenezuela.com/fighting-to-save-venezuelas-orinoco-crocodile/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=fighting-to-save-venezuelas-orinoco-crocodile Thu, 04 May 2023 13:55:00 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=16523

According to the International Union for Conservation of Nature, it is critically endangered, having suffered an 80-percent population reduction in just three generations in the early and mid-1900s.Efforts that started in 1990 to breed new crocs in captivity have seen some 10,000 freed back into the Venezuelan wild.But their numbers have not significantly increased. Full article -> PHYSorg

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Explotación ilegal en minas de níquel causa la tragedia en Tejerías https://onvenezuela.com/explotacion-ilegal-en-minas-de-niquel-causa-la-tragedia-en-tejerias/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=explotacion-ilegal-en-minas-de-niquel-causa-la-tragedia-en-tejerias Mon, 17 Oct 2022 13:04:01 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=16383

 La verdad de todo este entramado, tiene que ver con la explotación de níquel, bajo el mando directo del zar minero, Nicolás Maduro Guerra, hijo del tirano, causando una catástrofe social, cuyo verdadero alcance se desconoce. Este evento se produce motivado al colapso del dique, ubicado en las alturas de la montaña del sector denominado laguneta la montaña, perteneciente al municipio Guaicaipuro del estado Miranda. Desde hace tres meses se han venido realizando por parte de personas allegadas al Gobierno Central, bajo la tutela de Maduro Guerra y de funcionarios militares, voladuras con material explosivo en la zona alta, cercanos a los canales del cauce por donde normalmente circulan las afluencias de agua de las quebradas, que convergen en la principal, cercanas a las residencias. Por Luis Velázquez Alvaray.Texto Completo-> TheELNews

⬇︎For English text, use Google’s translator at the bottom ⬇

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Venezuela floods kill 25 after month’s worth of rain falls in eight hours https://onvenezuela.com/venezuela-floods-kill-25-after-months-worth-of-rain-falls-in-eight-hours/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=venezuela-floods-kill-25-after-months-worth-of-rain-falls-in-eight-hours Tue, 11 Oct 2022 15:00:44 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=16306

At least 25 people died and 52 were missing after five small rivers in central Venezuela flooded due to heavy rains, the government said. The downpour on Saturday night swept large tree trunks and debris from surrounding mountains into the town of Tejerias, 67km south-west of the capital, Caracas, damaging businesses and farmland, according to the vice-president, Delcy Rodríguez. Full Text -> TheGuardian

TRaducción de cortesía -> Al menos 25 personas murieron y 52 estaban desaparecidas después de que cinco pequeños ríos en el centro de Venezuela se inundaran debido a las fuertes lluvias, dijo el gobierno. El aguacero del sábado por la noche arrastró grandes troncos de árboles y escombros de las montañas circundantes al pueblo de Tejerías, 67 kilómetros al suroeste de la capital, Caracas, dañando negocios y tierras de cultivo, según la vicepresidenta, Delcy Rodríguez.

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U.S. Looks to Ease Venezuela Sanctions, Enabling Chevron to Pump Oil https://onvenezuela.com/u-s-looks-to-ease-venezuela-sanctions-enabling-chevron-to-pump-oil%ef%bf%bc/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=u-s-looks-to-ease-venezuela-sanctions-enabling-chevron-to-pump-oil%25ef%25bf%25bc Thu, 06 Oct 2022 10:46:07 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=16279

According to the authors, the Biden administration is preparing to ease sanctions against Venezuela’s authoritarian government to allow Chevron Corp. CVX 0.57% to resume oil production there. This would pave the way for a possible reopening of the US and European markets to Venezuelan oil exports. The administration of President Nicolás Maduro will resume dormant negotiations with Venezuela’s opposition to discuss the prerequisites for holding free and fair presidential elections in 2024 in exchange for substantial sanctions relief, the sources said. A compromise was also struck between the US, the Venezuelan government and some opposition leaders that would allow hundreds of millions of dollars in Venezuelan state funds that have been frozen in US banks to be used to pay for imported food and medicines. Access the article -> WSJ

Traducción de cortesía -> Según los autores de este artículo, la administración Biden se está preparando para aliviar las sanciones contra el gobierno autoritario de Venezuela para permitir que Chevron Corp. CVX 0.57% reanude la producción de petróleo allí. Esto allanaría el camino para una posible reapertura de los mercados de EE. UU. y Europa a las exportaciones de petróleo venezolano. La administración del presidente Nicolás Maduro reanudará las negociaciones latentes con la oposición de Venezuela para discutir los requisitos previos para la celebración de elecciones presidenciales libres y justas en 2024 a cambio de un alivio sustancial de las sanciones, afirmaron las fuentes. También se llegó a un compromiso entre los EE. UU., el gobierno venezolano y algunos líderes de la oposición que permitiría que cientos de millones de dólares en fondos estatales venezolanos que han sido congelados en bancos estadounidenses se utilicen para pagar la importación de alimentos y medicinas

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Illegal mining: yet another human rights violation in Venezuela https://onvenezuela.com/illegal-mining-yet-another-human-rights-violation-in-venezuela/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=illegal-mining-yet-another-human-rights-violation-in-venezuela Thu, 29 Sep 2022 12:11:04 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=16179

The Mining Arc, located in the south of Venezuela, has become one of the main sources of the country’s economy after the fall in oil production, a situation that mafias and armed groups have been able to take advantage of to strengthen their criminal activity. While the government of Nicolás Maduro argues that exploitation activities are taking place in an “orderly manner” and “with the least impact on the environment”, an international mission created to analyse the situation in Venezuela has denounced that the population of the mines is subjected to continuous abuses. The mission has decreed that, despite the military presence in the area, armed groups continue to operate openly in control of the mines and the populations, who, in turn, are subjected to multiple abuses ranging from the sexual exploitation of girls and women to murders. By Alba Sanz. Full Text -> Atalayar

Traducción de cortesía ->

El Arco Minero, ubicado en el sur de Venezuela, se ha convertido en una de las principales fuentes de la economía del país tras la caída de la producción petrolera, situación que mafias y grupos armados han sabido aprovechar para fortalecer su actividad delictiva. Mientras el gobierno de Nicolás Maduro sostiene que las actividades de explotación se realizan de manera “ordenada” y “con el menor impacto ambiental”, una misión internacional creada para analizar la situación en Venezuela ha denunciado que la población de las minas es sometida a continuos abusos. La misión ha decretado que, a pesar de la presencia militar en la zona, los grupos armados continúan operando abiertamente en el control de las minas y las poblaciones, quienes, a su vez, son objeto de múltiples abusos que van desde la explotación sexual de niñas y mujeres hasta asesinatos. .

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High-quality cacao beans make Venezuela a land of fine chocolate https://onvenezuela.com/high-quality-cacao-beans-make-venezuela-a-land-of-fine-chocolate/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=high-quality-cacao-beans-make-venezuela-a-land-of-fine-chocolate Wed, 14 Sep 2022 11:39:00 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=15997

Venezuelan cacao has “different characteristics and specifications” that depend on the region of the country where it is cultivated, said Enrique Flores, owner of an exporting company – Grupo Kacaoil – that was founded in 2017. “Cacao doesn’t taste the same anywhere you go,” Flores told Efe. According to the business leader, Venezuela’s “fino de aroma” cacao is the key factor that makes the country’s chocolate among the best in the world. “The genetic makeup of Venezuelan cacao is what lends taste and aroma … to the chocolates,” Flores said. Indeed, he said chocolate producers in other countries use Venezuelan cacao’s intense flavors to enrich their products. By Carlos Seijas Meneses. Full Text -> LaPrensaLatina

Traducción de cortesía -> El cacao venezolano tiene “diferentes características y especificaciones” que dependen de la región del país donde se cultive, dijo Enrique Flores, dueño de una empresa exportadora -Grupo Kacaoil- fundada en 2017. “El cacao no sabe igual en cualquier lugar vas tú”, dijo Flores a Efe. Según el líder empresarial, el cacao fino de aroma de Venezuela es el factor clave que hace que el chocolate del país esté entre los mejores del mundo. “La composición genética del cacao venezolano es lo que le da sabor y aroma… a los chocolates”, dijo Flores. De hecho, dijo que los productores de chocolate en otros países usan los intensos sabores del cacao venezolano para enriquecer sus productos.

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Venezuelan Indigenous groups: Mine gold or go hungry in Venezuela https://onvenezuela.com/venezuelan-indigenous-groups-mine-gold-or-go-hungry-in-venezuela/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=venezuelan-indigenous-groups-mine-gold-or-go-hungry-in-venezuela Tue, 13 Sep 2022 08:15:00 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=15973

Bolívar state is bursting with biodiversity, breathtaking waterfalls, jungles, and tabletop mountains, known as tepuis. But, mining that can clear and destroy vast swaths of land has become an important source of income among the nearly 200 Indigenous communities that live here, especially since the breakdown of Venezuela’s oil industry accelerated in 2014. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated an already perilous economic situation, when what little remained of tourism and government social services all but evaporated. By Mie Hoejris Dahl. Full Text -> TheChridtianScienceMonitor

Traducción de cortesía -> El estado de Bolívar está repleto de biodiversidad, impresionantes cascadas, selvas y montañas tipo meseta, conocidas como tepuyes. Pero la minería que puede despejar y destruir vastas extensiones de tierra se ha convertido en una importante fuente de ingresos entre las casi 200 comunidades indígenas que viven aquí, especialmente desde que se aceleró el colapso de la industria petrolera de Venezuela en 2014. La pandemia de COVID-19 exacerbó un ya peligroso situación económica, cuando lo poco que quedaba del turismo y los servicios sociales del gobierno casi se evaporó.

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Venezuela, seeking more revenue, pushes out small gold miners https://onvenezuela.com/venezuela-seeking-more-revenue-pushes-out-small-gold-miners/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=venezuela-seeking-more-revenue-pushes-out-small-gold-miners Tue, 13 Sep 2022 07:46:00 +0000 https://onvenezuela.com/?p=15969

In Venezuela’s El Callao mining region, countless small, artisanal miners that once sold gold to the government have left the area in the last year because accessible local supplies are depleted and President Nicolas Maduro has been striking deals with bigger miners, seeking more production and more revenue for the treasury. By Maria Ramirez and Mayela Armas. Full Text -> Finantial Times

Traducción de cortesía-> En la región minera venezolana de El Callao, innumerables pequeños mineros artesanales que alguna vez vendieron oro al gobierno abandonaron el área en el último año porque los suministros locales accesibles se han agotado y el presidente Nicolás Maduro ha estado cerrando acuerdos con mineros más grandes, buscando más producción y más ingresos para la tesorería.

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