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Venezuelan soldiers during the commemoration of the 1992 failed coup.
Members of the Venezuelan army allegedly crossed over to Guyana on Friday afternoon and assaulted a group of illegal local miners operating by the Yarakita River, near the border between the countries.
According to Stabroek News the civilians attacked, which are part of an illicit gold mining and smuggling network, failed to pay the soldiers a periodical fee in exchange for them turning a blind eye to illegal mining on Venezuelan territory.
This is not the first time local press reports clashes between Venezuelans and Guyanese people. In 2007, Venezuelan soldiers were accused of blowing up two Guyanese gold-mining dredges on a river near the border between the two countries.
Illegal gold mining is a longstanding problem in the Amazon that increased in recent years when gold prices were soaring. Sadly, the illicit activity has become the “new cocaine” of Latin America, with several neighbouring countries, including Brazil and Colombia, known to have miners frequently crossing into Venezuela.
Nationwide, illegal mining in Venezuela is thought to produce about 12 tons a year of gold, or roughly double the amount produced by legal, regulated miners in 2013.
Foreign and local groups estimate that there are as many as 4,000 illegal miners working in Venezuela, which often clash with indigenous groups and are knocking the government’s efforts to stop deforestation.
3 Comments
frankinca
In this case a picture is worth no words, as it isn’t appropriate. Pictures are supposed to be part of every story is the rule, but don’t use real appearing samples to give the impression this is a true photo of the operation in Venezuela. Having to check for references means a reader should take most of the info with a grain of salt, until they can verify all the details.
MINING.com Editors
We apologize for this unintentional mistake. We’ve replaced the image and contacted Al Jazeera about the matter.
#EsequiboEsVenezuela
So what? Esequibo belongs to Venezuela and these soldiers are just doing their job to Patrol Venezuelan land! Ramotar is worry only for our Oil while Carolyn Rodrigues wants to keep travelling worldwide….