Miners begin street actions against the Government
Tuesday, May 10, 2011 00:00 Hernán Velazco / Photo: Livio Quintero 0 Comments
Ciudad Bolívar .- From the early hours of yesterday morning, a large group of miners gathered in front of Government House, demanding a meeting with the regional chief executive Francisco Rangel Gomez, to find solutions to the deficiencies of the institutions in regard to payment of the commitments made after the mineral conversion.

The demonstration was led by Alfredo Villanueva, miners' leader, who denounced the alleged acts of corruption in the Mission Piar, whose tests were sent to the National Assembly and other agencies of the Venezuelan judiciary.

"Today we begin the street actions with a meeting in the Plaza Bolivar where we draw strategies struggle to demand the cancellation of the commitments of the mining conversion. We want a meeting with the Governor to ask him to be the mediator in the search for solutions, "said Alfredo Villanueva.

Governor's Responsibility

Villanueva stressed that the president, Hugo Chavez, regional president commissioned as a mediator in the conflict with the mining sector still awaiting their compensation to be removed from the holding area for several years.

"The governor gave him full authority to work and find solutions to the conflict in the Bolivar State mining. We trust your good faith and will always demonstrated, we require that you meet with us and commission a task force to investigate the case of Mission Piar, "said the miners' leader.

He is also requested that the alleged evidence submitter on corruption Piar Mission, to the vice presidency. "We have sufficient evidence of our complaint. There is too much corruption in this institution and other companies responsible for mining in Bolivar state, wielded the Protestant.

In that sense felt that one of the major demands of the former workers of artisanal mining is the payment of commitments framed in the conversion process promoted by the national government for over 6 years.

Also required the provision of credits and productive loans for start mining activities other than gold mining, which is detrimental to the environment. "Yet many are waiting for these benefits through the years turned into empty promises. Social policies have not reached the mining town that trusted and fully complied with the conversion process, "said Villanueva.

Forgotten people

According to the statement by Alfredo Villanueva, the mining town is now in a difficult situation because they are people who just lived off the exploitation of gold and the promise of re-making their work, abandoned mining areas.

"The miners are dying of hunger. They got used to being mono-producers and not hold any other know. If credits will be awarded and paid compensation, would be another story, but unfortunately the corrupt officials have not let this process work, "said the miners' leader.

"We demand that social justice is preached in this country, enough so fun," he continued. Villanueva upheld his complaint against the coordinator of the Mission Piar, Damaso Mendoza, for alleged corruption by diverting some resources to pay the former employees by way of converting gold mining.

Considered that this official did not know "absolutely nothing of mining" and has only been responsible for providing contracts and earn commissions, while the mining town is still awaiting solutions. In that vein Villanueva said that the Mission Piar require pass into the hands of the governor of Bolivar state and is run by people who actually know about the issue of mining in the state.

He noted that parents and mothers who gave their lives in mining, demand respect and compliance with this request each of the commitments made by the executive at the time of starting the conversion process. Officials said that while the Mission Piar are enriched with cases of corruption, the starving miners having no cash income to survive.

Street actions

Alfredo Villanueva, miners' leader, said the street actions taken in the coming days until satisfactory answers to their complaint. Added that have gone to every possible in search of solutions, and said he was dismissed from the board of Mission Piar to initiate a process of social auditing and reporting irregularities.