The director of the Center for Ecological Research of Venezuela (CIEV) denies that the uncontrolled artisanal mining in the Caura finished with government plans. "The Army did not learn to apply the law, learned to get into the business," he said.

"The mercury contamination is more serious than most people imagine. If no time attacking this dangerous situation not hesitate to say that soon we have in this city-Guyana-a legion of mentally ill, affected the nervous system, respiratory tract ill, to name a few " , says Alejandro Lanz, director of CIEV in interviews Correo del Caroni .

Lanz: "brought to the National Guard, which had its problems, and put the army who never learned to apply the law." Photo William Urdaneta

Artisanal mining in protected areas and in the basins of the rivers like the Caroni and its tributaries has been a constant source of concern among environmental groups. The growth of exploitation, indiscriminate use of mercury to amalgamate gold and consent of the military officials complicating environmental alarm.

Alejandro Lanz, director of the Center for Ecological Research of Venezuela (CIEV), says the problem continues to expand health risks of Guyanese.

"The mercury contamination is more serious than most people imagine. If no time attacking this dangerous situation not hesitate to say that soon we have in this city-Guyana-a legion of mentally ill, affected the nervous system, respiratory tract ill, to name a few, "says Lanz during a visit to Correo del Caroni this week.

The environmentalist criticizes the low interest in state institutions in the issue of uncontrolled mining pollution.

Ecological disasters artisanal mining can highlight the short and long term. Photo Courtesy CIEV

"The Army did not learn to apply the law, learned to get into the business. Along with this we have castrated institutions such as the Ministry of Environment, which has no cars, no resources, if you have to order an inspection thousand permits and when they are about to leave the phone call and warn them not can go to the sites. So you can not act against mining, "says Lanz.

The environmentalist, who has spent decades researching and making visible complaints with the media and NGOs, as the Venezuelan Program of Action on Human Rights Education (Provide), points out that many of the environmental irregularities occur against the "corruption" of some officials of different institutions at all levels.

"How is it that in the Manteco have a situation where the aliens are Supamo Parapapoi and those who want to keep mining. The same is true in most places, Brazilian, Colombian, Guyanese are there and do what they want. But how to do this? How come into the vicinity of Canaima is a huge dredges Guyanese and nobody do anything? How come there mining in Canaima and nothing happens? How does the fuel to all these areas, if no controls in all Army, Navy? ".

Business? Round?
Lanz also draws attention to the devastation caused by mining activity and raises, however, the development and adaptation of auriferous practices with new technology to preserve fragile areas.

In his view, illegal mining has not been resolved because the "business is illegal" and it feeds many people, especially connected with the circles of power in different ministries and agencies.

On the conversion mining, government implemented a plan in 2006 to bring the miners to the sites and relocate them to other areas, failed and was followed by other policies that also contributed to a solution. The last one, the Caura Plan, launched in April 2010 further worsened the patient.

"The Plan Caura came to grow the problem as terminal cancer, was not so bad before but now with this plan, because it's like giving an aspirin to someone who is dying," he said.

Caura threatened

Alejandro Lanz, director of the Center for Ecological Research of Venezuela (CIEV), puts emphasis on what happens in the Caura, an unspoilt area of ​​the continent that is already showing signs of deterioration due to gold mining activity.

Regrets that the claims of indigenous communities have gone unnoticed. Lanz warns that not only threaten the environment of the forest reserve, also the sectors that have been forced to emigrate and to engage in this activity forgetting his manners.

This situation was reflected and the study of mercury pollution, by the La Salle Foundation and published in the middle of this year, which show the ravages of pollution.