Two years ago it was decreed to the opinion 4,633 of the mining reconversion that so many problems would bring to the state Bolivar, and to those who live on this activity. As a result of this there have been deaths, cruel evacuations and other upsettings on the part of civilian authorities and military, and what would be a viable exit to stop the deterioration of the environment became a pitched battle that not yet has answer on the part of the national Executive who has left in worse conditions to already mistreated miners.

Natalie Garci'a
ngarcia@correodelcaroni.com This direction of electronic mail is protected against robots of Spam, needs to have activated Javascript to be able to see it
Photo William Urdaneta

It has before and after the mining reconversion, such division marked the murders to it of Raul Leoni in September of the 2006

The mining reconversion happened then to be the “reconversion to the misery”, and is that many went of their humble homes in the zones of mineral extraction to be defrauded, and without hopes to recover.

One of the flagrantest cases was the one of the Paragua, municipality Raul Leoni, where the decree meant the literal death of the place, that refuses to accept this crude reality, but real.

Besides this, there were two facts that definitively marked the activities of the military of Theater of Operations Nº 5 (TO5), that carried out one of the greatest histories of upsettings than it made resonate the name of the mining locality until in the London reporters.

And the tragedy arrived
Such events were the death of two fishermen and the murder - the 22 of September of 2006 - of six miners who, apparently, were attacked of surprise form by the cash of the National Armed Forces (FAN), according to the testimony of a unique survivor of that black episode.

After this unfolding against the miners, many decided to go away by their own foot before they were victims of a similar situation.

The ten implied in this case were condemned in December of 2007, but thanks to an appeal again they will be judged to verify the hypothesis of a supposed confrontation of the miners with the cash, that were seen presumably attacked. In spite of everything, until now nobody has taken into account the pain the relatives and everything what it has meant the event.

In the zone of the low and high Caura, Sucre municipality, had like in the Paragua several deads, but this time was natives who when seeing the military lay down to the mount and the river without still today they appear three of them. Histories on those who lived such horror are horrifying, but either nobody wants to remember it, or that is at least what it does not agree to him nor to the FAN nor to the Government.

Happening of this incident, the other towns that lived on the mining seriously saw affected, with greater emphasis in Raul Leoni although the municipalities Cedeño and Sucre also finished tens of isolate towns that were those that sustained the economy of the capitals of these mentioned municipalities.

Variable excesses
Although the case of deads was the one that hit more were episodes from sackings to the campings that have still not been solved. Many military “did their August” seizing gold that soon did not appear. The proprietors could not do nothing and lost their investment.

Political protagonisms were not made hope, in Maripa, to put an example, “the regional revolutionary government in the heat of” settled in a town hall abierto in the Mayorship of Sucre to listen to the complaints of the miners against the mayor. However, and in spite of the seriousness of the denunciations never there were results of the investigations that made justice with the miners and natives.

To make matters worse, the very same Legislative Council of Estado Bolívar (CLEB) restituted to the municipal holder Juan Carlos Figarella, to give fulfillment to which the State of Right was denominated “”, but this one never was mentioned for the protection of those who underwent vejámenes from the military.

Uncertain future
Although this form leaves from the past, the present is not very encouraging, at present are ten thousand miners, only of Raul Leoni, who were registered during the Alliance Town-Government - who grouped the Ministry of Tourism, Ministry of Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam) and to the Ministry of the Atmosphere that was the governing being and not yet they receive answer from the authorities.

To date nor the same Mibam, that has assumed the responsibility to pay the debt with the miners, knows for sure how many thousands of millardos badly were administered during the reconversion, including which it was reversed in the levee of the Paragua, that today is submerged under waters of this important famous river by the abundance of payaras.

In April of the present year just assumed Rodolfo Sanz, to also title of the Mibam and president of the CVG, it attended an assembly in City Bolivar where the payment of the indemnifications announced - previous consultation with president Hugo Chávez- that were pending during the reconversion.

The amount has not been defined absolutely but it inquired that to each miner 10 thousand bolivars strong will occur him, in addition is a system of pensions and credits for those who wish to leave the activity and to change it on the other. All this follows in promises because the minister has not pronounced and maintains in sinking the miners of the Paragua, who take to 42 days hoping an answer that does not arrive, while they are drowned with the debts and sometimes they do not have nor to eat and there are lost the hopes.

Governmental ineptitude

To all these both years have served to demonstrate what many already they knew, the Government generally are not, nor have been able to exert a control on the mining activity that is developed all along and width of the state Bolivar.

Either does not have be diligent to generate measures that offers benefits to the towns and their inhabitants, who hopelessly look for a way to survive more being the mining the used refuge, in spite of the serious environmental deterioration that implies its exercise more and if this one is not controlled.