Illegal Mining, Guerrillas and Disease: The Revolution’s Legacy to the Indigenous Peoples of the Upper Orinoco-Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve in Venezuela ́s Amazonia
Date of Publication
1-1-2020 12:00 AM
Security Theme
Illegal Mining
Keywords
Alto Orinoco, Casiquiare Biosphere reserve (RBAOC), indigenous communities, ethnic groups, Yanomami, Yek'wana, Sanema, Miners, Guerilla groups, Venezuelan military, Health, illegal mining
Description
The Alto Orinoco - Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve (RBAOC) comprises one of the geographical areas of greatest cultural diversity in the entire Amazon; Indigenous communities of 17 different ethnic groups live there. Each of these peoples is the bearer of a unique cultural heritage, and as a whole they give an extraordinary universe of linguistic diversity, worldviews, mythologies, history, art and ancestral knowledge, which are a true, unique and irreplaceable contribution to Humanity through the conservation of socio-diversity and biodiversity. Yanomami, Yek’wana and Sanema societies have been developing lifestyles adapted to these ecosystems on which they depend for their vital deployment, having generated dynamic equilibrium situations that are “sustainable” according to the modern concept. Their physical and cultural integrity and the effective defense of their rights are essential to ensure that they continue to develop their societies and conserve their lands and ecosystems. The overwhelming process of social, cultural and ecological destruction, at the hands of miners and guerrilla groups eager for gold and power, with the support, active and passive, of the Venezuelan military and government, constute an ecocide, an ethnocide and a genocide, in the process of development, which has global repercussions and that humanity cannot and should not tolerate. As part of the Amazon, the RBAOC plays a vital role in regulating the climate of the planet, therefore, the conservation of this enormous environmental heritage is essential in the fight to avoid the catastrophic consequences of global climate change. It is urgent that the destruction of the RBAOC be stopped: for the conservation of the Amazon, respect for indigenous peoples, the future of life on the planet, and because of the ethical responsibility of Humanity. This report provides sufficient evidence and proof of the Maduro Regime’s responsibility regarding the catastrophic health, medical and social situation of RBAOC, but also obliges the reader, especially those who have assumed political responsibilities and commitments, to act. It is not just about biodiversity; It is essentially about innocent human lives, and ancestral cultures with which we have an obligation and responsibility, historical, current and transgenerational.
Illegal Mining, Guerrillas and Disease: The Revolution’s Legacy to the Indigenous Peoples of the Upper Orinoco-Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve in Venezuela ́s Amazonia
The Alto Orinoco - Casiquiare Biosphere Reserve (RBAOC) comprises one of the geographical areas of greatest cultural diversity in the entire Amazon; Indigenous communities of 17 different ethnic groups live there. Each of these peoples is the bearer of a unique cultural heritage, and as a whole they give an extraordinary universe of linguistic diversity, worldviews, mythologies, history, art and ancestral knowledge, which are a true, unique and irreplaceable contribution to Humanity through the conservation of socio-diversity and biodiversity. Yanomami, Yek’wana and Sanema societies have been developing lifestyles adapted to these ecosystems on which they depend for their vital deployment, having generated dynamic equilibrium situations that are “sustainable” according to the modern concept. Their physical and cultural integrity and the effective defense of their rights are essential to ensure that they continue to develop their societies and conserve their lands and ecosystems. The overwhelming process of social, cultural and ecological destruction, at the hands of miners and guerrilla groups eager for gold and power, with the support, active and passive, of the Venezuelan military and government, constute an ecocide, an ethnocide and a genocide, in the process of development, which has global repercussions and that humanity cannot and should not tolerate. As part of the Amazon, the RBAOC plays a vital role in regulating the climate of the planet, therefore, the conservation of this enormous environmental heritage is essential in the fight to avoid the catastrophic consequences of global climate change. It is urgent that the destruction of the RBAOC be stopped: for the conservation of the Amazon, respect for indigenous peoples, the future of life on the planet, and because of the ethical responsibility of Humanity. This report provides sufficient evidence and proof of the Maduro Regime’s responsibility regarding the catastrophic health, medical and social situation of RBAOC, but also obliges the reader, especially those who have assumed political responsibilities and commitments, to act. It is not just about biodiversity; It is essentially about innocent human lives, and ancestral cultures with which we have an obligation and responsibility, historical, current and transgenerational.
