Miners invade Indian lands in Upper Caura
Saturday, March 01, 2008
They called on the authorities to avoid a repetition of the events of 2006.


  Indigenous representatives from Basin High Caura and Indigenous Federation, indicated that their rights are being violated. This Friday indigenous representatives from Bolivar state reported the presence of more than 500 illegal miners in the Upper Caura, and the destruction of the only pristine wilderness in the state.

  Alberto Rodriguez, director of the Indigenous Organization of the Caura River Basin (Cuyujani), accompanied by Ítalo Pizarro, president of the Federation of Indian state of Bolivar and Jose Gregory Cascante, a member of the National Commission Territory, Habitat and Environment, indicated that people outside their culture have invaded indigenous lands, with the idea of exercising illegal mining.

  Rodriguez explained that these people are affecting the natural reserves, commenting that "the Caura River Basin is the last one there, which has a rich biodiversity."
 
  He expressed concern at the lack of action by the authorities to safeguard and protect those areas in the state of Bolivar, declared by UNESCO as World Heritage.

  "We believe that the State should rightly worry about, and seek an alternative source of employment for these people," said Rodriguez, who clarified that they are not against the right to work, but not be allowed to destroy a natural area and will invade indigenous ancestral lands.

  He stressed that at the moment indigenous rights are being violated, their rights to peace, health, life and healthy coexistence with nature.

  For his part, Jose Cascante said that the solution lies in the ownership and demarcation of indigenous lands. "The life of the brothers sanema and yekuanas is in danger," he said.

  He added that does not rule out that in this "invasion" involving indigenous because it is inaccessible areas.

  Indigenous representatives called on the authorities, and who is competent to TO5 this situation, recalling also that neither seek a repeat of the bitter experience of 2006, when a mob of people arremetió with indigenous people, bringing death and destruction to their inhabitants.

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