6 / The World / Tuesday / Caracas, February 1, 2005
Carbon water leaves Zulia
Although it does not burn, coal could trigger heavy fighting in the Sierra de Perija, where Indians and environmentalists are preparing to prevent the exploitation of new mines. Think Chavez can only repeal the concessions and for this march to Miraflores on 31 March.
Danisbel Gomez Morillo
Although in its early days in office, President Hugo Chávez promised the largest community barium at all costs avoid the irrational exploitation of resources in La Guajira and the Sierra Perija (Zulia state), about 350 indigenous families in the area are prepared to defend, at all costs-the land they occupy and the rivers that surround them, because there the state (together with transnational companies) is planning to extract, to from October This year, 24 million tons of coal.
Although in its early days in office, President Hugo Chávez promised the largest community barium at all costs avoid the irrational exploitation of resources in La Guajira and the Sierra Perija (Zulia state), about 350 indigenous families in the area are prepared to defend, at all costs-the land they occupy and the rivers that surround them, because there the state (together with transnational companies) is planning to extract, to from October This year, 24 million tons of coal.
Following the logic of economic "development" of the region, the business would not be bad, except that the exploitation of coal, by the two companies operating for years in the Sierra, has contaminated rivers and Socuy Guasare and forced the inhabitants of the municipalities Páez and Mara to take waste water from this mineral.
The new concessions have been granted increase the ecological damage, says Lusby Portillo, a professor at the University of Zulia (LUZ) who warns that they leave no water to Maracaibo, Miranda, La Concepcion, La Paz and El Moján, since the two dams that supply these municipalities, Tule and Manuelote be contaminated.
"That's too much exploitation for a fragile soils in the foothills of the Sierra de Perija, they are mountains. If you open these mines is very likely we will run out of water in Maracaibo, because the state gives us no guarantee of anything through the Ministry of Environment and also the impact that generated the Norte and Paso Diablo Mine in the La Guajira has reduced the water, "says Portillo, who has spent years en la lucha ambiental e indigenista en la zona.
Además de maximizar los efectos contaminantes que ya ha dejado la extracción de carbón en el Zulia, el experto hace énfasis en lo contradictorio que resulta -y aún más en este Gobierno que se dice protector del ambiente- el discurso de la explotación de carbón en la actualidad, cuando las termoeléctricas europeas están cerrando.
“Las trasnacionales y Corpozulia vienen impulsando la creación de carboeléctricas en este estado. Hay una en Tía Juana (Costa Oriental del Lago), otras en El Tablazo, en Mara y en Táchira. Venezuela enters a process and strengthens it just as Europe is emerging. In Germany, for example, are no more than 10 000 workers in coal mines, in this country and England are closing mines and power plants to meet the Kyoto Protocol that demands to lower the rate of the gases generated by industrialization coal plants or steel. Thus, while South America they close those plants open them, and in particular, boosted by this Government. There is no justification to 200 years of oil we are using coal, "said Portillo.
die
By Angela Sierra González, activist wayúu and member of the community radio Nikiza Cachirí-Indian language that means Shouts Cachiríexpresó their fear of the possible expropriation of the land they occupy both his brothers as those of Bari and Yukpa ethnicities.
By Angela Sierra González, activist wayúu and member of the community radio Nikiza Cachirí-Indian language that means Shouts Cachiríexpresó their fear of the possible expropriation of the land they occupy both his brothers as those of Bari and Yukpa ethnicities.
"For coal companies will make us leave our places, our lands are productive, we have livestock and agriculture, do not produce much but we are to sustain ourselves, to educate our children and to stay. You can not expropriate us have not even told where we relocated but not us out because the problem is water pollution, environment, nature. "González, who has moved to defend the administration of President Chavez, do not hesitate to point out that will face the National Guard or Army, and even take out the same mandatariopara prevent more carbon from the Sierra. "I ask God, who is the only power that put man on earth to cultivate and not to destroy it to protect us What do you think now my President Chavez? both saying that we were as important to him. He knows that the indigenous poor muybien give support, he has talked about our rights, but do not understand why he wants to expropriate their hermanos.Con that we are selling. "
Dec. 11 meeting was held with the Indians to persuade them to accept the exploitation of coal in the area but failed to agree. "We are not ambitious, we will not buy, will not give our land. All Wayuu agree that we will not let anyone in, if it is to fight, fight, if it is to die, we die, there will be bloodshed in our land, our rivers and our Sierra if we want to get over there ".
repeal concessions to defend this ecological reserve Zulians preparing a march to Miraflores on 31 March.
This is not the first mobilization they do, they have gone four times to Corpozulia headquarters in Maracaibo, demanding that they stop mining projects, but nothing has happened.
also have notified the Executive and have established some contacts with the Ministry of Environment, and so far the only thing visible is that the coal moving to consolidate in the area.
"We want President Chavez will listen, listen to the other version because he has is the economistic has no ecological vision of bioregion, center on water, biodiversity.
They justify the holding ground that here is a low population density but it is an important ecological reserve. It is good that the President hears the words of the indigenous and environmentalists who have been excluded from this revolution, because this government has built an indigenous or environmental policy, "says Lusby Portillo.
But environmentalists and indigenous people not only go to explain their arguments Chavez also seek action strong as the revocation of the permits were granted to these companies. "We will seek the repeal of coal concessions in La Guajira and Perija, in the land of the Bari, the Wayuu, for a public good, a social good.
The President can justify to the State and to the nation that the water of Zulia and the lands of indigenous people will revoke all those concessions, leaving only the mines already in operation. Will have to compensate these companies. This obviously can not do a minister or a deputy, you have to do it. "
"carbonizing" the environment "
model coal mining begins northwest of Zulia state through Corpozulia / Carbozulia, together with multinationals RAG Coal International Coal, Anglo-American Coal, which purchase the shares at the Shell "(Carbones del Guasare, SA] and Inter-American Coal (Carbones de La Guajira, SA) and now threaten to extend beyond the foothills of the Sierra de Perija.
First was the municipality Mara with the Paso Diablo mine in 1987 (joint venture Carbones del Guasare, SA) and thereafter in Páez municipality with North Mine in 1994 (joint venture Carbozulia Carbones de la Guajira, SA).
Today, coal mining threat of surface water and groundwater in the basin of the rivers Guasare Cachirí Socuy and through new mines to be exploited by Carbones del Guasare, SA (18.5 MMT / a), Carbones La Guajira, SA (4MMt / a), Coal Caño Seco, CA (2 Mmt / a) and Carbones del Socuy, CA (2MMt / a).
Coal Basin Socuy be transported through a 8.5-km railway to a port to be built in Pararú, Wayuu indigenous settlement, thus affecting the whole of La Guajira, also coal basins of the rivers and Cachirí Guasare be transported in tractor trailers to Carbonero Terminal Island San Bernardo, the first module of Puerto America.
In this same area, Corpozulia available to lease new coal mines mining companies MAICCA, CA (Tomen, Transmara Coal and Excel) and KTK Mining of Venezuela, CA, and thus is expected to leverage the medium term approximately 30 million tons of coal a year, in the Guajira subregion, excluding individuals from the Cerrejón mine Colombia, as expressed in the General Management Plan of Puerto America and the study Terms of Reference for Terminal Carbonero the Island of San Bernardo.
Source: Homo et Natura, ANPA and Mov. April 13.
Document published www.aporrea.org
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