Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro during his weekly program Con Mauro+ on Monday, July 11, 2023. Photo: Twitter/@Barrio_Tricolor.
The president of Venezuela, Nicolás Maduro, reiterated his call to put an end to illegal mining in the south of the country in order to preserve the ecosystem in the Venezuelan section of the Amazon rainforest.
In his weekly program Con Maduro+ this Monday, July 10, the president reported the results of Operation Autana in Amazonas state, led by the Bolivarian National Armed Force (FANB). In two weeks, the operation has apprehended more than four thousand illegal miners who destroyed extensive areas of the forest preserve.
Nearly 2,000 Illegal Miners Evicted from Venezuela’s Amazonas State
A report by the multi-state news channel Telesur revealed that an air and river bridge was activated to remove all the people from Yapacana National Park.
Operation Autana includes personalized attention to miners who voluntarily leave illegal mining sites, including medical checkups, relocation to other states in the country and registration, which involves complex but effective logistics.
Venezuela Supports Colombia’s Proposal to Regenerate Amazon Rainforest
The president expressed his full support for the revitalization of the agenda to preserve the Amazon rainforest, respecting the sovereignty of the Amazonian States and the rights of Indigenous communities. He said that his government will support the development of the plans that are designed jointly in the Amazon Cooperation Treaty Organization, which unites all the Amazonian nations, including Venezuela.
In recent days, right-wing operators have been attempting to portray the FANB as violating Indigenous people’s rights in the area covered by Operation Autana. The reality is that the government and the army have been enforcing, in the most humane way possible, the eviction of thousands of miners and families that are carrying out criminal economic activities that pose a danger to the fragile ecosystem of the Amazon rainforest.
(Alba Ciudad) with Orinoco Tribune content
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JRE/SL
