Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro at the celebration of the 18th anniversary of the establishment of CEOFANB. Photo: VTV.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, instructed Vice President Delcy Rodríguez to design a special reforestation plan for the Yapacana National Park, in the state of Amazonas, to recover the region where illegal mining groups had caused deforestation and environmental damage. President Maduro made the statements during the celebration of the 18th anniversary of the Strategic Operational Command of the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (CEOFANB), in Tiuna Fort, Caracas.
The Venezuelan president stated that this plan will be aimed at “the recovery of equilibria” after the success of Operation Autana through which 51 members of criminal gangs were captured and 14,000 illegal miners were evicted, while 11 mining rafts, 350 electric plants, 1,675 motor pumps, 124,898 meters of hose, 49 crushing mills, and 284 suction turbines were seized. A total of 27 illegal mining sites were dismantled.
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In addition, President Maduro instructed the armed forces to launch a continuous surveillance plan, and announced a special social plan that will allow the people of the national park area to engage in economic and commercial activities that do not harm the environment and the territory.
President Maduro announced that three phases of the liberation of Yapacana National Park from illegal miners have been completed: reconnaissance, information search, and coordination. The plan also includes an operation of eviction, dismantling and destruction of elements that affect the environment, as well as reforestation and the establishment of the Venezuelan state and the FANB to protect the Amazon forest.
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The commander of the Strategic Region of Integral Defense (REDI) Guayana, Major General Rafael Prieto, detailed that “the Public Ministry appointed Prosecutor’s Office No. 87 with competence in environmental rights, while the Third Court of Control of Amazonas declared precautionary judicial measures of environmental character in Yapacana National Park, having a priority to guarantee the right of all those who live in the National Park, complying with the following measures: prohibition of mining practice, detention and apprehension of individuals involved in crimes against the environment, and prohibition of machines used for mining. To date, 13 operational deployments have been conducted to successfully accomplish the mission.”
President Maduro called on the authorities in charge to speed up the proceedings, to ensure justice “and exemplary punishment in accordance with the law.”
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
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