Two years of deception
Monday, June 30, 2008

Two years ago was ordered 4,633 of the opinion that the conversion mining would bring so much trouble to Bolivar state, and those living in this activity. As a result there have been deaths, inhumane evictions and other abuses by military and civilian authorities, and what would be a viable exit to halt environmental degradation became a battle that still has no response from the Executive national who has left worse off than those already battered miners.

Natalie Garcia
ngarcia@...
Picture William Urdaneta


There is a before and after the conversion mining division that marked the murder of Raúl Leoni in September 2006

Exactly two years the national government issued Decree 4,633, forcing the miners to abandon the activity in exchange for humanitarian aid and credits to start a new business. Despite this, did not occur roughlynor the one nor the other, only the massive outflow of hundreds of mines, who went from having a livelihood to have nothing, which resulted in the death of the economy people supported by this source of labour.

The conversion mining then turned to be the"conversion to misery", and many left their humble homes in the areas of mineral extraction to be disappointed, and without hope of recovery.

One of the most outstanding was the La Paragua, Raúl Leonitownship, where the decree meant the death of literal place, which refuses to accept this stark reality, but real.

In addition, there were two events that marked the final proceedings of the military theatre No. 5 (TO5), who staged one of the biggest stories of abuses that did resonate the name of the mining town until the news in London.

And came the tragedy
Such events were the deaths of two fishermen and murder-the September 22, 2006 - six miners who allegedly were attacked in a surprise by the strength of the National Armed Forces (FAN), according to the testimony of a single black survivor of that episode.

After this deployment against the miners, many decided to leave on his own foot before they were victims of a similar situation.

The ten involved in this case were sentenced in December 2007, but thanks to an appeal will be tried again to check the assumption of an alleged clash with troops miners, who were allegedly attacked. Nevertheless, so far nobody has taken into account the pain of the families and everything that has meant the incident.

In the area of low and high Caura,Sucre municipality, there were just as La Paragua in several deaths,but this time it was indigenous to see the military threw the mountain and the river without even appearing today three of them . The stories of those who lived through this horror are shocking, but nobody wants to remember this, or at least that's what you should not either the Government or the FAN.

Moving from this incident, other peoples who lived in mining were seriously affected, with greater emphasis on Raúl Leoni despite municipalities Cedeño and Sucre also ended up dozens of isolated villages that were the underlying economics of the capital cited these municipalities.

Desmane varied
Although the case of the dead was the one who was hit more episodes of looting in the camps which have not yet been resolved. Many military"made its August" confiscation gold certainly not appeared. The owners could not do anything and lost their investment.

Political actors did not expect, butterflies, for example, "the revolutionary government in full regional" was installed in an open town of Sucre in the council to hear complaints from the miners against the burgomaster.However, despite the seriousness of the allegations was ever research findings do justice to the miners and indigenous.

To make matters worse, the very Legislative Council of Bolivar State (Cleber)restored the municipal holder Juan Carlos Figarella, to comply with was called "the rule of law", but this was never mentioned to protect those who suffered humiliation of the military.

Future uncertain
While this is part of the past, this is not very encouraging, there are now ten thousand miners, only Raúl Leoni, who were registered during the People-Government Alliance, which brought together the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam) and the Ministry of Environment which was the governing body-and still do not get response from the authorities.

So far neither the same Mibam, which has assumed responsibility for paying the debt to the miners, knows for sure how many thousands of billions were mismanaged during the conversion, including what was invested in the pier of LaParagua, who today is submerged beneath the waters of this important river famous for its abundance of pay.

In April this year the newly assumed Rodolfo Sanz, owner of Mibam and also president of the CVG, attended a meeting in Ciudad Bolivar where-announced after consultation with President Hugo Chávez-claims that were outstanding during the conversion .

The amount has not been fully defined but it was reported that each miner will give you 10 thousand bolivars strong, there is also a system of pensions and loans for those wishing to leave the activity and change to another. All that remains in pledges because the minister has not acted in anxiety and maintains the miners of La Paragua, who carried 42 days waiting for a response that does not arrive, while they are drowning in debts and sometimes do not have to eat and have lost hope.

Governmental ineptitude

In all these two years have served to prove what many already knew, the Government generally is not, nor has it been able to exercise control over mining activity that takes place throughout the length and breadth of Bolivar state.

Nor has it been diligently to generate measures that offer benefits to the peoples and their inhabitants, who desperately seeking a way to survive being mining refuge most widely used, despite the serious environmental degradation and its exercise involving more if he is not audited.

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