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

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

Un informe del Observatorio de Ecología Política de Venezuela (OEP) expone los peores conflictos ambientales que enfrentó el país sudamericano en 2021. Entre ellos están los derrames de petróleo, la deforestación, la minería y la falta de agua potable en zonas con cuencas hidrográficas degradadas. By Maxwell Radwin. Texto Completo-> Mongabay

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

Gold mining in particular faces increasing international scrutiny. In March 2019, the U.S. Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) sanctioned Venezuela’s gold sector. The European Parliament called for a ban on the trade and circulation of Venezuelan
gold in July 2020.1 Meanwhile, armed groups continue to use violence to control Venezuela’s mines. The debate about Venezuela’s conflict gold must be drastically changed for a real impact to be made and
to stop the atrocities occurring in the country’s southern mining districts. Sanctions, trade bans, and rhetoric about ‘blood gold’ serve to fuel the black market in minerals and have increased revenues for criminal actors without changing anything on the ground. By Bram Ebus. Full Text -> Wilson Center

Traducción de cortesía -> La minería de oro en particular se enfrenta a un creciente escrutinio internacional. En marzo de 2019, la Oficina de Control de Activos Extranjeros (OFAC) del Departamento del Tesoro de los Estados Unidos sancionó al sector aurífero de Venezuela. El Parlamento Europeo pidió la prohibición del comercio y la circulación de oro venezolano en julio de 2020. Mientras tanto, los grupos armados continúan usando la violencia para controlar las minas de Venezuela. El debate sobre el oro del conflicto de Venezuela debe cambiar drásticamente para que tenga un impacto real y detenga las atrocidades que ocurren en los distritos mineros del sur del país. Las sanciones, las prohibiciones comerciales y la retórica sobre el “oro de sangre” sirven para alimentar el mercado negro de minerales y han aumentado los ingresos de los actores criminales sin cambiar nada sobre el terreno.

More info/ más información -> www.OnVenezuela.com

If somebody asked you to go to a cocktail party on the top of the Tepuyes, the most amazing mountains on earth and the most sacred land for our Indians, you may rightly call them crazy pranksters. By Henrry Lezama. Full Text -> Music4Life

Traducción de cortesía -> Si alguien te pide que vayas a un cóctel en la cima de los Tepuyes, las montañas más asombrosas del mundo y la tierra más sagrada para nuestros indios, con razón los llamas locos bromistas. Traducción al español -> Google Translación

Una radiografía satelital de los estados Amazonas y Bolívar del sur de Venezuela ha permitido identificar más de 3.700 puntos de actividad minera y una red de pistas utilizadas para traficar oro y drogas. Así lo revela la primera entrega de esta serie que, a partir de imágenes desde el espacio procesadas con inteligencia artificial, muestra cómo la selva venezolana está siendo arrasada a un ritmo sin precedentes y se ha convertido en la base de operaciones de grupos criminales transfronterizos. Por Joseph Poliszuk, María Ramírez y María Segovia, Full Text-> El País