Indigenous Groups
Demand Chavez Stop Coal Mining in Western Venezuela
October 12, 2005 — By Natalie Obiko Pearson, Associated Press
CARACAS, Venezuela — Dozens of
Indians from western Venezuela protested in the capital Tuesday
demanding a halt to mining in their region and calling government
efforts to formalize their ownership of ancestral lands a "fraud."
"The demarcation of indigenous lands and habitats is a fraud," the
protesters from the Wayuu, Bari and Yukpa tribes of Zulia's Sierra de
Perija region said in a statement. "They will allocate lands to us but
later try to evict us to exploit coal."
The protesters said three mines were set to go into production --
beginning with the Socuy mine in January 2006 followed later by the
Cachiri and Cano Seco mines -- despite a pledge by President Hugo Chavez
to revoke mining concessions that would damage the environment and
indigenous communities.
Angela Aurora, leader of the Wayuu delegation, said coal mining in other
parts of Zulia has already deforested thousands of hectares (acres),
contaminated rivers and killed or sickened inhabitants with respiratory
diseases caused by coal dust.
"It is contamination of our way of life and our environment," she said.
Chavez oversaw the adoption of a new constitution in 1999 that
recognizes indigenous groups' collective ownership of ancestral lands
and allows their participation in marking territorial boundaries.
The president of Corpozulia, the national government's regional
development corporation, said Tuesday that no coal was being exploited
in the Sierra de Perija region where the tribes live.
Carlos Eduardo Martinez said the Environment Ministry had withdrawn
mining concessions in the area due to the fragility of the local
ecosystem, according to the state-run Bolivarian News Agency.
In August, Chavez presented property titles to six indigenous
communities with some 4,000 people in the eastern states of Anzoategu
and Monagas, recognizing their ownership of territory covering 127,000
hectares (313,690 acres).
Chavez has said the government plans to turn over titles to 15 other
indigenous communities by the end of the year. He travels Wednesday to
the southwestern state of Apure to present titles to communities there.
Leonardo Martinez, chief of the Tukuko community of the Yukpa tribe from
Zulia state, said such titles would bring no benefits to his community.
"We are rejecting the land title," said Martinez. "We are rejecting it
because this land title is (being offered) in exchange for coal mines."
Venezuela's government has been reviewing all mining concessions and
contracts and has vowed to cancel deals where companies have left mines
idle or have failed to comply with laws, including environmental
guidelines.
Source: Associated Press |