Government prepares resettlement of artisanal miners in southern Bolivar state
Ciudad Bolivar, 15 Jul. AVN .- The National Government through the Ministry of People's Power for Basic Industries and Mining (Mibam), prepare for relocation and organization of small scale miners in Bolivar State in areas where extraction is permitted gold material, under the supervision of the Venezuelan State

This was stated by Deputy Minister of Mining and National Mining Commissioner, Laura Paredes, after a meeting Thursday with artisanal miners at the headquarters of the National Institute of Geology and Mining (Ingeominas), in Ciudad Bolivar.

"This meeting is part of the answer you're giving illegal miners who were evicted from the Caroni river basin and Cuyuní through the Caura Plan who wish to continue working in gold mining but now under the rules of state, "he added.

He noted that there are people who have worked for years and do not want mining activity change, despite the opportunities given by the national government to be trained in areas such as agricultural production and tourism.

He said the government had already assessed and certified 88 000 hectares of land suitable gold in southern Bolívar, of which 83 000 can be delivered to these cooperatives.

These areas include the municipalities Gran Sabana and Sifontes, and include mining areas recognized as Viskaitarra, Apanao, Heart of Jesus, The Evidence, Supamo-Parapapoi, Las Flores, the Ball and La Leona.

But he warned that miners must comply with various environmental regulations, legal and administrative.

"They should form cooperatives with at least 20 people, to ensure greater employment generation and for eligibility for funding will be provided through an agreement between Mibam and Social Development Bank (Bandes)," he said.

He said the agreement Mibam-Bandes allows the allocation of $ 50 million for the design phase and study of all projects submitted by the cooperatives, after which resources are allocated for the purchase of equipment and working capital needed.

Each cooperative may receive a grant to work on a maximum of 10 acres of gold lands previously selected by the authorities.

Unlike small-scale mining was used in Bolivar state, announced that in these areas will only develop open pit mining and underground mining is prohibited in lakes and rivers flood and monitors the use of hydraulic (water pumps pressure) and mercury, destructive of the environment.

He also noted that resources are not handled by any local agency, to avoid bureaucratic problems and other flaws in previous organizational processes of mining.

"A cooperative will drop them directly from Caracas resources on the basis of projects submitted to the Technical Mibam Mining in Ciudad Bolivar, El Callao and Tumeremo" he said.

He noted that these projects will receive technical assistance from Ingeominas, Mission Piar and the Universidad Nacional Experimental de Guayana (UNEG) to ensure technical and financial viability and ensure they do not affect the quality of the environment.

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