PATTERNS OF MINING ACTIVITY AND ITS CONSEQUENCES / Ivan Herrera
Friday, 22 2008

  Repealed the Mine Act of December 28, 1944, published in the Official Gazette of the Republic of Venezuela No. 121, Extraordinary, dated January 18, 1945, ushered in a new force with the rank and Mines Act, Decree 295 , September 5, 1999, special, dated September 28, 1999.

  Well, if something positive we must highlight of this new instrument is that Article 7 says the five ways in which one can legally develop mining activity: directly by the National Executive, concessions for exploration and subsequent exploitation, authorizations for exploitation the exercise of small-scale mining, mining commonwealths and artisanal mining. In fact all are important depending on the interest they take in each. But the legislature, in this case the National Executive enshrined in the Act, or incorporated two modes are important as "small-scale mining and artisanal mining."

  The old law did not provide explicitly these modalities to mining, but for various decrees and decisions involving miners in the development of these activities was activated from the practical viewpoint which allowed the establishment of new areas through the contract to the "small miners", when the Ministry of Energy and Mines entrusted to CVG such activity. Now, what is criticized, despite being enshrined, not publishing areas, and if we do not give you grant environmental permits for when you are not delaying the procedure for permisología, resulting in a stalemate satanic and vulgar in development of this activity, thus pushing the mining sector to invade spaces outside concessions granted or emigrating to prohibited areas and remote, with the result that we all know. Therefore, I never tire of tuétanos to defend the right of workers in mining, and that somehow is discrimination when only allows and facilitates the development of this activity is exercised only by the private sector.

  But environmentalists and false gremialistas the mining sector, which are nothing more than "patrioteros ramplones" and did not represent anything or anyone, nor engaged in defence, but to their own interests, they see only the environmental damage of the small miner, Travellers and branding them as garimpeiros, as exercise, according to them, a primitive mining, and they say nothing of the environmental damage of businesses, which like Crystallex, in the El Callao snapped the river Yuruari to work "La Victoria mine ", producing environmental damage, and here the TO5 and the Ministry of Environment has been made to turn a blind eye and have not been diligent in arresting their representatives as they do with the miners leg on the floor, suruqueros, bateros peak and shovel.

  Finally, I recognize that over the years this activity has left a stain on expansion that involves thousands of unemployed who have been forced to engage in a wild mining so as not to die of hunger. But I always say, that the vocation of mining a particular area can never eliminate a decree from above the human nuclei have lived for years in this activity.

  And the question we have to ask today is Where were located or what are the spaces that have been granted, for artisanal mining and small-scale mining with this law?, Almost none. Likewise confirm that, in accordance with the law or constitutional order, officials of the Army, attached to TO5 have no attribution of mining shelter, but that improperly taken the competence of inspection, surveillance and monitoring of the activity mining to trample announce more evictions and other mining areas, while smuggling and the scramble for control 'guides fuel "among high-ranking officers, for the big business of mining continues on the agenda.

  Citizen Mibam minister and president of CVG, do not allow more abuses.