"We were paying the Guard to let us work," says miner expelled from Venezuela
The miners said they paid him expelled five grams of gold per day to the
National Guard to let them work. Colombian Defense Minister, Gabriel Silva, said
he will seek the intervention of the International Committee of the Red Cross
(ICRC) to draw about 800 people remaining in the mine

01 of December 2009 | 06:17 PM - ElTiempo.com



This is a new episode in the midst of the crisis between the two governments,
the Defense Minister of Colombia, Gabriel Silva, categorized as a violation of
International Humanitarian Law (IHL).

"We had to give five grams of gold daily," he told El Tiempo Brazilian mining.

Many of them, they said in Inirida, were surprised by the hostility of the
military.

Colombian claim mistreatment

"We spent all day Thursday and Friday, hidden in the mountains, hungry and
thirsty. We were about 400 that we got out, but there remained some 500 miners."

This is the story of Flor Pereiro Morales, one of about 900 people working in
the gold mine of Cerro Yacapana in the state of Amazonas in Venezuela, and
expelled by that country's military on Saturday.

The official, who traveled to Puerto Inirida to get aid to the miners, said: "We
will complain to the international human rights authorities such forced
displacement."

In an interview with El Tiempo, Flor, 33, said the soldiers arrived in
helicopters suddenly last Thursday, and that same day told them to leave, "the
thick and thin."

"What happened was horrible. We ran like crazy. First we were told not to flee,
but was sentenced after telling us that if you did not leave for good take him
for worse," said the woman, who arrived two years ago this piece border to try
their luck.

"After the threat, they (the military) convinced us that we were free and left
us out of the mine. But four men were waiting for us to strip out everything,"
said the woman, who arrived in Puerto Inirida with nothing in their hands .

His account was confirmed by the Ombudsman's Office: "The information gathered
among the miners on Thursday is that the Venezuelan army units arrived near the
town of San Fernando de Atabapo, on the border with Guainía, and gave them a
deadline of 36 hours to leave the mine, which has long functioned, "said the
defender, Volmar Perez.

Consult the ICRC

On Sunday, a humanitarian commission composed of the Red Cross, firefighters and
representatives from the consulate tried to zoom with the Venezuelan government
to let people return to their belongings, but without success.

Among the Colombians who arrived in Puerto Inirida there are 260 men, 135 women
and 17 minors. In addition, 47 miners in Brazilian nationality.

The Defense Minister said yesterday he will seek the intervention of the
International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to draw about 800 people
remaining in the mine.

He said he will propose the creation of a special status for these people, so
they can receive financial assistance during the time that should be in Puerto
Inirida.

"Colombia does not agree with what he did Venezuela (...), use force to deport
such people," he questioned.

By sending 15. 000 troops to the border with Colombia, since 5 November, the
Government of Venezuela aimed to stop the extraction of coltan (highly
conductive mineral), which abounds in the states of Bolivar and Amazonas
(Venezuela).
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