They propose a referendum to stay mining companies in South Sifontes
Wednesday, May 14, 2008
Managers of small-scale mining recommend that you follow instructions from the president, Hugo Chávez, in the sense that the important issues, we must consult the people

Isidro Casanova.



Antonio Rivas and Paul Zambrano, proposing the recall Considering that President Hugo Chávez has stated that the materials of significance, the people will be consulted, Antonio Rivas and Paul Zambrano, managers of unit Minera del Sur, said that the staying or leaving companies in the gold Guiana, especially Crystallex, operates the Las Cristinas project and Gold Reserve, operator of the project Brisas del Cuyuní, both located in Las Claritas, Sifontes municipality of Bolivar, must be submitted to referendum to is the people who opine whether to assume the exploitation of gold deposits cited ..

- We have sustained-say-that the permanence of these two companies in the area, serve to labor stability. The surrender or without permits, the people must decide. We must not continue to take decisions to the detriment of the sovereign people. In this case, the people are the ones to decide. We are revolutionaries and the revolution is due to people. With him we are and should be consulted. The refusal of permits for those companies is a decision of magnitude, therefore, should be consulted.

An explanation

They concern our informants, reactions that have caused the government announcements that the project Brisas del Cuyuní, revoked the grant when he already had approval to start construction of the plant. Available for authorization for the allocation of environmental resources in the work area. Meanwhile, the Las Cristinas project is not reversed anything because nothing had handed him. It was reported that the company Crystallex, operator of the project was handed over to environmental satisfaction, and requested all requirements were considered. Now, the information we have is that these requests were denied.

Another source reported that in this case, there is a clear contradiction of high government, because when the Las Cristinas project in a batch concession on behalf of CVG, is the Ministry of Environment which denied permission to start construction of the plant . The Canadian Crystallex, is only the operating company, contracted by CVG.

Call for high government

- We are making an appeal to the president of the republic, Hugo Chávez, to intervene in this problem. We want that small-scale mining work. Companies that have been affected, iban a major open jobs. We maintain our approaches opening mining and the creation of the Autonomous Institute of Mining, body to be aware in our field, the reality of small-scale mining. It is the case that universities operating in the municipalities of the South, are developing careers in mining and environment, now, we wonder, what future awaits them young students of these specialties, when they graduate, if there is a tendency that mining companies in the municipalities of Southern Bolivar, are closed.

The characteristics of the referendum

Antonio Rivas and Paul Zambrano then explained that if approved the referendum to decide this matter, it must be convened by the National Electoral Council, involving the ministries of Mines and Environment, as well as organized small-scale mining. The referendum is-what-they insist that there is more democratic, because you can not continue to take personal decisions and capricious. If allege environmental damage and thereby negate the possible outbursts of these companies have to take into account that there are technologies that can ensure environmental protection. Those decisions to cancel business, goes against the economic and social development, affecting equal to the population of southern Bolivar, including many indigenous communities

Next>