Venezuela: we denounce the forced relocation of indigenous families from their traditional lands at the hands of the Venezuelan government and the multi-national coal corporations. (Paso Diablo Mine is owned impart by Peabody Coal/Peabody Energy Corporation. )
By Wayùu of the Perija Mountains 03/14/07 Indybay.org
We, the indigenous Wayúu inhabitants of the Socuy, Mache and Cachirí river baisns in the Sierra de Perijá, in the western state of Zulia, in the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, inform all women and men of the world that our humble community, just as the Yukpa and Barí communities, will be forcefully relocated by the national government so that it may hand over our territories to multi-national coal companies, because the innards of the imperial monster needs more cheap coal to continue plaguing the peoples of the world with death, misery, and hunger.
There cannot be a XXI Century Socialism in our country without us, the indigenous – and if there are no rights to autonomous territories, free of mines and large hereditary landholders, only some expressed in legal papers – but as a nuisance to miners, oil people, gas people and large hereditary land holders, today they wish to eliminate us with their racist tale of
sovereignty and national unity, as if we the indigenous are not also sons the god Maleiwua, Guaicaipuro, and Bolivar.
In these moments, the National Government, thru its Corporation of Development of the Zulia Region (Corpozulia), heads a final attack along with multi-national company operators against our humble indigenous families, to obligate us to sell them our lands, just as they imposed on us years ago during the opening of the Paso Diablo Mine* and the North Mine in the Guasare river basin, and more recently in the Las Carmelitas Mine near the Los Tres Rios dam.
We denounce the genocide and ecocide that is deepening in the foothills of the Sierra de Perijá along the border region with Colombia on the western arm of the great Andean Mountain range by the hands of Corpozulia, Carbozuliam Anglo American Coal, Inter-American Coal, Peabody, Carbonífera Caño Seco represented by the former president of Telecom Eiram, Brendan Hynes from Ireland, Corporación Carbones del Perijá of Chile represented by María Victoria Quiroga M. and Álvaro Guell V., Energy Resources, among others.
Wayúu Indigenous Organization of the Socuy and Maché Maikiratasalii
Autonomous Indigenous Territories
Free of Mines and Large Landholders.
* Paso Diablo Mine is owned impart by Peabody Coal/Peabody Energy Corporation.
http://www.peabodyenergy.com/Operations/CoalOperations-Venezuela.asp
http://tierraylibertad.contrapoder.org.ve
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In Caracas we buried the coal phantom.
The Venezuelan Minister of the Environment prohibits the opening of new coal mines in the state of Zulia. President Hugo Chavez and his call to not open new coal mines in the state of Zulia, on indigenous lands.
by: Sociedad Homo et Natura
Environmental Collectives
Indigenous Communities of Wayúu and Yukpa of Sierra de Perij'a
Caracas, March 21, 2007 - By presidential decree, the Minister of the Environment, Yubiri Ortega de Carrizalez, announced yesterday before the Yukpa and Wayúu indigenous people of the Sierra de Perijá, the prohibition to open new coal mines in the state of Zulia. Additionally, by the same presidential mandate, it was rejected the expansion of the Guasare and Paso Diablo mines projected by Corpozulia and Caribozulia.
Yesterday, the indigenous resistance of the Perija, the social movements and the ecologists who mobilized to take over the Ministry
against the mining industry, felt that they had buried the coal phantom and its entire threat in Caracas, which for years had hurt the
indigenous peoples of the state of Zulia. However, until the current mining concessions in indigenous lands are not revoked by decree, the fight goes on.
In a meeting with indigenous leaders from the Ukpas and Wayuu, the Home
et Natura Society and alternative community media outlets, the Minister
of the Environment indicated that she has hope in the new model ordered
by President Chavez, which is already underway in the fields of
ecology, agriculture, tourism, and sustainable development.
We know that the transnational powers interested in the coal in Zulia
will keep promoting the survival, by all means, of their coal
mega-project. There are still questions on the future of the Nigales
bridge, America Harbor (currently Bolivar Harbor), and the Zulia
railways, all of which are part of the expansion plans of the coal
mines that were scheduled to open in indigenous territories that have
now been prohibited by the presidential mandate.
The downfall of the miserable
Martinez Mendoza threw his final thrust by organizing a paid counter
demonstration, forcing the Mara community councils, the mining workers
and their families to open more coal mines, after hearing the
presidential proposal: agriculture, cattle breeding and tourism in
exchange of more coal. On Thursday, the envoys paid by Mendoza
abandoned the black script ordered by Obis Prieto (president of
Carbozulia) and accepted the sustainable development proposal in
exchange for the prohibition of coal mines. This initiative will be
taken to Mara next Thursday.
If the coal mines, for all of which they represent, the global mourning
of thousands of families that have lost their children and spouses; the
social misery that they have caused in their path; the pollution of the
soil, the air, and the water; the loss of the woods and rivers; are
forever prohibited and if the Venezuelan state finally decrees the
prohibition of coals mines in favor of sustainable agricultural and
cattle breeding projects that are pro-life, then the eyes of world
would find ourselves looking at an exemplary act of social justice and
the beginning of a necessary change.
The coal mining and its plans, destroyed entire towns in Mara,
destroyed woods and rivers, left the Bari indigenous people without a
land, subordinated the indigenous leadership for decades, and left
their own people subject to shame and rejection.
President Chavez, by saying today that there will be no more coal mines
in Zulia, you are giving back hope for the future to the Wayúu de Mara
and Páez people, to the indigenous of the Sierra de Perijá and to life
itself. We are looking forward to the decree that will forever prohibit
this dark curse.