#Venezuela #MinamataConvention #MercuryPollution #GoldMining #EnvironmentalProtection #Clima21 #ArtisanalMining #HumanRights
NGO Clima21 has made an urgent call to the Venezuelan government, pressing for the ratification of the Minamata Convention. This international treaty is aimed at curbing the use and trade of mercury, a toxic substance posing severe environmental and health threats. Specifically, Article 7 of the Convention targets artisanal and small-scale gold mining operations, obligating member countries to significantly reduce or eliminate mercury use in these activities.
Clima21’s concerns were highlighted in their recently published report, “Slow crime: The rights of children, women, Indigenous people, and workers in southern Venezuela threatened by mercury”. The report, released on March 30, underscores a lacking in prompt and adequate actions to address mercury pollution arising from small-scale gold mining. Although Venezuela lacks official epidemiological data, testimonies suggest mercury exposure is detrimentally affecting the health of individuals in the Venezuelan Amazon, including people located away from mining zones.
The use of mercury in gold mining not only endangers these local communities but also contributes to broader environmental degradation. The report criticizes the Venezuelan state for failing to meet its obligations under international conventions and national laws to protect its citizens, especially the most vulnerable groups, from mercury exposure. Clima21 urges the establishment of a national plan aimed at reducing, and eventually phasing out, mercury in gold mining. Additionally, the NGO calls for medical support for those afflicted.
Mercury pollution is depicted as a form of state violence in the report, exacerbating other violent crimes prevalent in Venezuela’s mining regions. Clima21 insists on the prosecution of individuals smuggling mercury.
Amidst this environmental and human rights crisis, the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB) has conducted evictions and deployed over 2,500 soldiers to counter illegal mining operations. Just a day prior to Clima21’s report, the FANB announced the seizure of materials intended for illicit mining, highlighting the ongoing struggle against unauthorized and harmful mining activities in the region.
The surge in illegal gold mining in Venezuela, triggered by an economic downturn from 2013, has drawn numerous Venezuelans into the perilous industry, often resulting in accidents and violence involving mafia and guerrilla groups. Clima21’s appeal to the Venezuelan government to ratify the Minamata Convention places a spotlight on the need for comprehensive measures to combat mercury pollution and protect the health and rights of its citizens.
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