A frame of the video posted to Lárez's X account, which references the evacuation of the miners from Yapacana National Park. Photo: X/@dhernandezlarez.
More than 8,431 illegal miners have been voluntarily evacuated from Yapacana National Park in Amazonas state, Venezuela, since July 1.
The strategic operational commander of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces of Venezuela (CEOFANB), Domingo Hernández Lárez, reported on the evacuation of the 8,431 illegal miners through the Carida—Puerto Ayacucho route.
He wrote on his X account: “More than 8,431 illegal miners have been evacuated from Yapacana National Park since July 1.”
Más de 8.431 mineros ilegales han sido evacuados del Parque Nacional Yapacana desde el 01JUL23, a través de la ruta Carida – Puerto Ayacucho.#OperacionAutana2023
#IntegrarEsVencer pic.twitter.com/JlsVeChO7d— GJ. Domingo Hernández Lárez (@dhernandezlarez) August 13, 2023
These procedures have been carried out with due respect for human rights and the environment, in accordance with the nation’s fifth historic objective: contribute to the preservation of life on the planet and the salvation of the human species.
This Friday, Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro highlighted the success of the military deployment in several states of the country to combat illegal mining.
Venezuela’s Military Locates and Destroys Illegal Mining Equipment
He explained that during 2022 and 2023, the FANB has maintained deployment to guarantee the security of Venezuelans and face the different terrorist threats.
Madura emphasized that: “A good part of the illegal mining camps come from Colombia. We have to coordinate with the Colombian government. If illegal mining does not stop (…) then we are not going to stop.”
Likewise, he specified that military presence must be maintained in the border regions of the south of the country in order to combat illegal mining.
Maduro added that operations are especially being maintained in the Venezuelan states of Bolívar, Amazonas, Sucre, Apure, Zulia, Falcón, and Táchira, among others.
The head of state urged that: “We have to completely liberate the Amazon [of illegal mining], as Venezuela committed to at the Amazon summit in Brazil.”
On July 1, the president ordered the FANB to clear the Amazon of illegal mining. As such, the FANB activated Operation Autana 2023, which is aimed at preserving life on the planet, ecosystems, and the environment, as a citizen’s duty and right.
Venezuela Disagrees With UN Special Rapporteurs on Application of Anti-Terrorism Laws
On several occasions, Hernández Lárez has ratified that the FANB will remain deployed until the last predator is expelled (from the Amazon region), to then be able to begin reforestation and in order to apply all the necessary measures for the recovery of the soils and rivers that have been degraded after years of mineral extraction.
(Red Radio Venezuela) by Ana Perdigón
Translation by Orinoco Tribune
OT/ECS/DD/BLA
