No aircraft delayed eviction of miners The Chiguao
Written by Paul Vidoza
Saturday, 09 February 2008

 
  The information was provided by Brigadier General (Army), David Orozco Ojeda, Chief of Operations Theater Number Five (TO5), who stressed that the miners themselves knew the extent of eviction. Brigadier General (Army), David Orozco Ojeda, Chief of Operations Theater Number Five (TO5), admitted that the so-called Operation Humanitarian conducting eviction and evacuation of miners in the camps of El Chiguao, Granzón and San Pedro in the municipality "Raul Leoni" had been delayed due to the absence of suitable aircraft as modern MI-26 helicopter, which prevented the measure is implemented at the beginning of January 2008.
In this sense the military noted that the cash themselves Chiguao The miners and El Granzón, were aware of this measure of eviction ordered by the Court II in the environmental control of Bolivar state, stressing that "this order from a court of Republic, was issued two years ago, but we had not been able to run because we encontrabámos limited in terms of the disposition of an aircraft suitable for this kind of transfer, which we called the Humanitarian Operation, as it proceeded to evict the Miners and move with all their belongings in helicópetero MI-26, in order to clear the area around this group of Venezuelans and a considerable amount of foreign citizens (Brazilians, Dominicans, Colombians and Guyanese) of this area which is subject to a special arrangements for environmental protection, "said Orozco Ojeda.

Operating in El Manteco and Upper Caura

When asked why the delay to act in this case by the Venezuelan Army troops stationed in the V Jungle Infantry Division, Brigadier General David Orozco Ojeda said that in the year 2005, the Tribunal II Control on environmental issued this ruling to stop illegal mining in this jurisdiction of the municipality "Raul Leoni," noting that "The Theater of Operations Number 5, supporting this court in the Republic began with eviction of small miners. The precautionary measures issued by the court are clear: terminate and disable any mining activity in this sector, ie all those implements used for the alluvial mining as monitors hydraulic hoses, cambuches or ranches, which are precisely manufactured with wood is exploited in this sector. Of course, all this with the aim of halting the intense air pollution that is suffering the Caroní River watershed, with the indiscriminate use of mercury, "he said.

Orozco Ojeda said that this type of action for eviction will continue to be implemented in other areas under special arrangements in the field of environment as El Manteco and Upper Caura, assuring that "we will continue to support all orders issued by the Court II of Control, to attack heavily illegal mining in different parts of Bolivar state, and also preserved for all generations of Venezuelans watershed in our federal district, "he noted.

Inutilizar tracks clandestine

The Chief of TO5, General David Orozco Ojeda, insisted that it is a forceful action by the Venezuelan State, in order to preserve vital areas such as watersheds and lung plant found in the Upper Caura for ensuring that these miners are not carrying illegal mining in these sectors. "One of the measures to ensure that the miners will not return to these places is disable clandestine runways, closing roads or" throats "that lead to these sites, and making aerial surveys on an ongoing basis," he warned.

59 unused engines

For its part, the Staff (Army) Francisco Guzman Villasmil, commander of the Alfa Group of Operation Chiguao, provided a detailed report of all actions carried out by the military in the mining area of El Chiguao, indicating that this eviction is operating has worked on the basis of preserving the human rights of the miners, assuring that "it is completely untrue that the place has been hit with the people or has registered a balance of people killed or injured," he said.

In terms of procedure, which consists in the elimination of the miners and their mining equipment reported that so far 59 have been disabled or monitors hydraulic motors that are used for the extraction of gold and diamond, were seized two industrial welding machines; three vehicles to smuggle fuel; have been destroyed eight power plants, as well as 12 thousand 482 meters of hose; was unused runway "Charapera", as well as the trail of The Chiguao that inutilizará in the next few days; 418 shacks were destroyed and 17 were sites that corrupt practices were engaged in the sale of liquor, drugs, prostitution and female, male and child, between food and belongings have been evacuated 46 thousand kilograms, have been evicted 121 Colombians, Dominicans 76, and 211 Brazilians, for a total of 408 foreigners engaged in illegal mining, and have been evicted 120 Venezuelan citizens.