Newsletter 21 | October 2020
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Map of illegal mining in the Cuyuní river.
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British Venezuelan Society
Venezuela's Illegal Mining - Human Suffering and Environmental Disaster
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With an introduction by Dr. Peter West, Economist at EM Funding and Chair of the British Venezuelan Society & Chamber of Commerce and panelists Dr. Vanessa Neumann, Official Representative of President Juan Guaidó to United Kingdom and Honorary President of the BVS and Cristina Burelli, Founder and Executive Director of @V5 Initiative, a nonprofit that advises and connects civil society organisations in the Americas, and international liaison for SOSOrinoco
Moderation and closing remarks by Dr. Federica Paddeu, Derek Bowett Fellow in Law at the University of Cambridge who specialises in law of State responsibility and the law on the use of force. WATCH WEBINAR
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New SOSOrinoco report (in Spanish)
Autana Natural Monument: Guerrilla, Mining and Drug Trafficking at the Foot of the "Tree of Life"
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Since 2012, armed groups from Colombia, calling themselves members of the FARC-EP, settled in Autana and began illegal mining activities for the extraction of gold. Since 2013, the Uwottüja indigenous organizations denounced this situation before different regional and national governmental institutions, demanding the expulsion of the armed invaders, without obtaining any response. They also held meetings with the guerrillas themselves and asked them to withdraw from their territories. As of 2016, there is evidence that the ELN has also taken control of the territory.
Indigenous organizations have systematically denounced the invasion of their ancestral territory by these foreign irregular armed groups. These invaders represent a threat to the life, self-determination and territorial rights of indigenous peoples, who demand the eviction of armed groups and illegal mining from their territory.
The complaints presented by indigenous organizations reveal a series of situations that threaten and violate the human rights of the indigenous peoples of Autana. The Venezuelan State authorities that have the duty to investigate these complaints and take action to protect the affected communities have been negligent and inoperative; complaints have received no response and the institutions have ignored the calls of indigenous organizations.
Download full report
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You can now make donations to SOSOrinoco
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DONATE
Your generous contributions help us to fight the environmental media blackout that for the most part refuses to shed light on the environmental devastation and Human Rights abuses occurring in Southern Venezuela and that have converted Venezuela into the Amazonian country with the most illegal mines and rate of deforestation.
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VISIT OUR WEBSITE WWW.SOSORINOCO.ORG
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