Caracas, Saturday May 03, 2008

Miners step to prevent rejection in Brazil evictions

Commission investigates state damage to the environment
SAILÚ Urribarrí
Especially for UNIVERSAL

The Claritas .- For a period of about 29 hours, around 300 miners of the population of the Claritas Sifontes municipality south of Bolivar state, concentrated on the 85-kilometer road Binational Core 10 restricting step towards the population of Great Savannah and the neighboring country Brazil.

The rejection of assumptions that would have been ordered evictions in the area prompted the lock, which began mid-morning on Thursday and lasted until after 3 pm on Friday.

The head of the theatre number 5 (TO5), Jose Gregorio Montilla Pantoja said that "the miners have no reason to protest, have not been rotated eviction orders, there were only requests to appear before the Environmental Ministry, since several miners would be committing crimes against the environment, "he said.

The area remained protected by troops of the National Guard, theatre and number five regional police of Bolivar state.

The Ombudsman in the entity, Yanitza Figuera, he moved to the place as part of a dialogue committee formed by the head of the Regional Police, Julio Cesar Fuentes Manzulli and the Mayor of Sifontes, Marlene Vargas.

"We managed to make them understand that there were no 'eviction orders, which was a false alarm. Until the national government does not deliver proven areas of wealth and permisologías the miners, there will be no evictions, because they will continue to work until they have an answer positive, "reported Marlene Vargas, mayor of the municipality Sifontes.

Vargas pointed out to be awaiting a response by the Ministry of Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam).

"The minister must meet the status of all persons included in the mining, however, we are treating all that requesting a right of speech in a Cabinet of Ministers to be heard on the mining problem in the region," he said.

It was reported on the implementation of 11 procedures followed against miners in the Environmental Ministry.

Local representatives asked the Attorney Superior Bolivar state designation of a national prosecutor in charge of the case.

"The government and the municipal government designated a forum for the defense of private miners," said Vargas.

4 thousand miners in Sifontes

In Sifontes coexist at least some 4 thousand gold miners and their families, which require a definitive pronouncement by the regional and national mining authorities.
The protest affected some tourists who, with intent to seize the bridge over the May First and move up the Gran Sabana, stayed several hours in the lock, generated by miners.

On the other hand, government authorities of the entity investigating a series of complaints by travellers, which accuse the miners at the border areas to implement the strong recovery of 200 bolivars per allow vehicular passage, in its battle use .