THE EPICENTER<\/h2>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\u2015Beautiful! It\u2019s just like being at the beach! How\u2019d they make this water look so blue? \u2015 asks a Pem\u00f3n youngster, as he and his friends take a dip in one of the settling ponds at the huge Campo Alegre mining complex in the eastern part of Canaima National Park. This is the biggest mining operation in the Gran Sabana, occupying 78 hectares, and is located at the very heart of Venezuela\u2019s Amazon region.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\nThe turquoise-like coloration is produced by the chemosynthesis that results when the bacteria feed on mercury and other heavy metals, as well as other contaminants such as gasoline and oil. The boys dive in headfirst, often gulping some of the water. In the long run, the high concentration of these substances can have negative effects on their growth and development. However, nobody has bothered to warn them.<\/p>\n
Campo Alegre is located in spectacular savanna country, surrounded by Earth\u2019s most archaic geological formations, in a remote part of southeastern Venezuela. Maikel Artal, a Gran Sabana tour operator, remembers the water mirror that used to be here, with a row of moriche palms in the middle, and the citrus grove in the background, punctuated by the colorful oranges and tangerines. That\u2019s his last visual recollection from decades ago, when the inhabitants\u2019 only worries seemed to be the meandering Kuken\u00e1n River during flood stage, when it slithered into their homes like a giant water snake.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, the one-hour drive through the eastern part of Canaima National Park, along the stone-paved road that breaks off from the main asphalt-paved highway that leads to Brazil, ends at a village that now has a totally different look. Two kilometers before arriving, you can see an enormous patch of white sand that stands out behind some twenty houses that have been built in the traditional indigenous manner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.correodelcaroni.com\/depredacion-minera-frente-a-los-ojos-del-tepuy-roraima\/assets\/img\/img_6679.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nA Pem\u00f3n youngster plunges into a turquoise-colored settling pond at the Campo Alegre mining site in the state of Bol\u00edvar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\nThe mine occupies the indigenous village\u2019s own backyard, and defines the landscape, as seen from the school, the abandoned walk-in clinic, and any one of the village houses. Together with other mining focal centers, the occupied area at Campo Alegre covers 187 hectares. The eastern horizon, visible as a line of prominent flat-top geologic structures known as tepuis, the tallest being Roraima Tepuy, which reaches 2,810 meters (9,219 ft) above sea level, standing out as a sentinel and silent witness to what transpires below, and as the sole reminder that we are on the same territory as before.<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.correodelcaroni.com\/depredacion-minera-frente-a-los-ojos-del-tepuy-roraima\/assets\/img\/img_6926.jpg\")
<\/p>\n
\nA group of children cooling off in the settling ponds at the mining area, a couple of hours after the school day is over<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The river\u2019s backwater lagoon, which used to provide fish to feed the village and served as its water source, has been slowly disappearing. There\u2019s no trace left of the moriche wetlands that once served as a moisture storehouse. In its place are enormous excavations, deeper than three meters (9 ft), with remnants of old hoses, as well as turquoise-colored settling ponds. The citrusy colors of the fruits that used to be harvested years ago have long disappeared, and the village is totally silent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.correodelcaroni.com\/depredacion-minera-frente-a-los-ojos-del-tepuy-roraima\/assets\/img\/img_7041.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nBiologists explain that the color of the water indicates the presence of heavy metals<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.correodelcaroni.com\/depredacion-minera-frente-a-los-ojos-del-tepuy-roraima\/assets\/img\/img_6332.jpg\")
<\/p>\n\nRudimentary mining operation. Material extracted from the mine sliding down a wooden sluice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
\nSOSOrinoco<\/a>, a non-governmental organization, conducted a technical analysis of satellite imagery provided by Sentinel in 2018, which showed 33 mining areas inside and adjacent to Canaima National Park, where mining is prohibited. Of these areas, 45% were inside the boundaries of CNP, which meant that 501 hectares were being affected. For the present report, we asked this organization for permission to access and use the imagery of originally-identified sites that match those areas where mining activity has been detected during the last two years.<\/p>\nA more detailed analysis, conducted in collaboration with experts in the use of remote sensors, focusing on the eastern sector of the protected area, and validated through field visits during the first quarter of 2020, led to the detection of 21 mining sites that had not been previously identified, consisting of an additional 459 hectares of lost vegetation cover, soil degradation, contamination from mercury and heavy metals, as well as from oil and gasoline.<\/p>\n
Most of the illegal mining sites newly identified by this study are located in the park\u2019s eastern part, which is the easiest sector to reach thanks to a 316-kilometer asphalt highway, built three decades ago, and crosses this indigenous territory from north to south. Of the four mining operation areas showing the most activity, three are located in this area of the park, namely Campo Alegre, San Jos\u00e9 de Guarima and Acared\u00e9n.<\/p>\n
The western sector of the park, which is supposed to guard and preserve the majestic Auyantepui mountain and Chur\u00fan-Mer\u00fa, also known as Kerepakupai-Mer\u00fa, and better known worldwide as Angel Falls, the tallest in the world, has had 518 hectares of its area subjected to mining activity. Meanwhile, the eastern sector of the park has seen 515 hectares likewise affected, which means that a total of 1,033 hectares of Canaima National Park have been subjected to illegal mining activity as of the first quarter of 2020.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe newly detected areas suggest that activity has been intensifying in the eastern sector, given that these mines had not been spotted before,\u201d explained Vilisa Mor\u00f3n, president of the Venezuelan Ecological Society (Sociedad Venezolana de Ecolog\u00eda – SVE).<\/p>\n
Viewed through satellite imagery, this area shows gigantic holes in the ground and large patches of white sand. Even though this area isn\u2019t officially located in the Orinoco Mining Arc, designated by the Nicol\u00e1s Maduro regime in 2016, mining activity here continues to grow unabated, and in recent months it has been relying on fuel supplied mainly by individuals wearing military uniforms, and payable in gold: starting at 7 grams of gold for a 200-liter barrel of fuel, equivalent to USD 394.23, based on\u00a0the price of gold on the world market<\/a>\u00a0as of 29 May 2020. \u201cThere are three flights a day going from Santa Elena to Icabar\u00fa bringing in fuel to the mines, where it is sold and distributed by the military,\u201d states a source living close to the border with Brazil.<\/p>\nThere are open-pit mines as well as underground mines. In the eastern sector of CNP, these are concentrated in Sector 5 of the Gran Sabana. Even though they\u2019re located inside indigenous territory, there\u2019s a presence of criollos, as non-indigenous outsiders are called by the local indigenous people. In the alluvium deposits mines, there is a constant use of mercury, which contaminates the soil, and over time its accumulation in the settling ponds percolates down into the water table, thus causing much damage to the ecosystem.<\/p>\n
The indigenous people tend to underestimate the effects of the use of chemicals, and are not usually aware that industrialized implementations, such as pressurized water jets, are being used at the mining sites, instead of simply panning for gold nuggets or using picks and shovels.<\/p>\n
Unlike the nearby municipal districts of El Callao, Sifontes and Roscio, there is an absence of irregular armed groups in the national park, although there is some harassment by the military. In contrast, closer to the border with Brazil, at the mines near Icabar\u00fa, where mining operations began in the 1940\u2019s, when two of the largest-ever Gran Sabana diamonds were found, violence is now leaving its scars, mining activity is accelerating and the impact is undeniable.<\/p>\n
According to\u00a0SOSOrinoco<\/a>, mining operations have impacted 7,400 hectares in the areas surrounding CNP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The turquoise-like coloration is produced by the chemosynthesis that results when the bacteria feed on mercury and other heavy metals, as well as other contaminants such as gasoline and oil. The boys dive in headfirst, often gulping some of the water. In the long run, the high concentration of these substances can have negative effects on their growth and development. However, nobody has bothered to warn them.<\/p>\n
Campo Alegre is located in spectacular savanna country, surrounded by Earth\u2019s most archaic geological formations, in a remote part of southeastern Venezuela. Maikel Artal, a Gran Sabana tour operator, remembers the water mirror that used to be here, with a row of moriche palms in the middle, and the citrus grove in the background, punctuated by the colorful oranges and tangerines. That\u2019s his last visual recollection from decades ago, when the inhabitants\u2019 only worries seemed to be the meandering Kuken\u00e1n River during flood stage, when it slithered into their homes like a giant water snake.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, the one-hour drive through the eastern part of Canaima National Park, along the stone-paved road that breaks off from the main asphalt-paved highway that leads to Brazil, ends at a village that now has a totally different look. Two kilometers before arriving, you can see an enormous patch of white sand that stands out behind some twenty houses that have been built in the traditional indigenous manner.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
A Pem\u00f3n youngster plunges into a turquoise-colored settling pond at the Campo Alegre mining site in the state of Bol\u00edvar.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The mine occupies the indigenous village\u2019s own backyard, and defines the landscape, as seen from the school, the abandoned walk-in clinic, and any one of the village houses. Together with other mining focal centers, the occupied area at Campo Alegre covers 187 hectares. The eastern horizon, visible as a line of prominent flat-top geologic structures known as tepuis, the tallest being Roraima Tepuy, which reaches 2,810 meters (9,219 ft) above sea level, standing out as a sentinel and silent witness to what transpires below, and as the sole reminder that we are on the same territory as before.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
A group of children cooling off in the settling ponds at the mining area, a couple of hours after the school day is over<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
The river\u2019s backwater lagoon, which used to provide fish to feed the village and served as its water source, has been slowly disappearing. There\u2019s no trace left of the moriche wetlands that once served as a moisture storehouse. In its place are enormous excavations, deeper than three meters (9 ft), with remnants of old hoses, as well as turquoise-colored settling ponds. The citrusy colors of the fruits that used to be harvested years ago have long disappeared, and the village is totally silent.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\nBiologists explain that the color of the water indicates the presence of heavy metals<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
<\/p>\nRudimentary mining operation. Material extracted from the mine sliding down a wooden sluice.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
SOSOrinoco<\/a>, a non-governmental organization, conducted a technical analysis of satellite imagery provided by Sentinel in 2018, which showed 33 mining areas inside and adjacent to Canaima National Park, where mining is prohibited. Of these areas, 45% were inside the boundaries of CNP, which meant that 501 hectares were being affected. For the present report, we asked this organization for permission to access and use the imagery of originally-identified sites that match those areas where mining activity has been detected during the last two years.<\/p>\n A more detailed analysis, conducted in collaboration with experts in the use of remote sensors, focusing on the eastern sector of the protected area, and validated through field visits during the first quarter of 2020, led to the detection of 21 mining sites that had not been previously identified, consisting of an additional 459 hectares of lost vegetation cover, soil degradation, contamination from mercury and heavy metals, as well as from oil and gasoline.<\/p>\n Most of the illegal mining sites newly identified by this study are located in the park\u2019s eastern part, which is the easiest sector to reach thanks to a 316-kilometer asphalt highway, built three decades ago, and crosses this indigenous territory from north to south. Of the four mining operation areas showing the most activity, three are located in this area of the park, namely Campo Alegre, San Jos\u00e9 de Guarima and Acared\u00e9n.<\/p>\n The western sector of the park, which is supposed to guard and preserve the majestic Auyantepui mountain and Chur\u00fan-Mer\u00fa, also known as Kerepakupai-Mer\u00fa, and better known worldwide as Angel Falls, the tallest in the world, has had 518 hectares of its area subjected to mining activity. Meanwhile, the eastern sector of the park has seen 515 hectares likewise affected, which means that a total of 1,033 hectares of Canaima National Park have been subjected to illegal mining activity as of the first quarter of 2020.<\/p>\n \u201cThe newly detected areas suggest that activity has been intensifying in the eastern sector, given that these mines had not been spotted before,\u201d explained Vilisa Mor\u00f3n, president of the Venezuelan Ecological Society (Sociedad Venezolana de Ecolog\u00eda – SVE).<\/p>\n Viewed through satellite imagery, this area shows gigantic holes in the ground and large patches of white sand. Even though this area isn\u2019t officially located in the Orinoco Mining Arc, designated by the Nicol\u00e1s Maduro regime in 2016, mining activity here continues to grow unabated, and in recent months it has been relying on fuel supplied mainly by individuals wearing military uniforms, and payable in gold: starting at 7 grams of gold for a 200-liter barrel of fuel, equivalent to USD 394.23, based on\u00a0the price of gold on the world market<\/a>\u00a0as of 29 May 2020. \u201cThere are three flights a day going from Santa Elena to Icabar\u00fa bringing in fuel to the mines, where it is sold and distributed by the military,\u201d states a source living close to the border with Brazil.<\/p>\n There are open-pit mines as well as underground mines. In the eastern sector of CNP, these are concentrated in Sector 5 of the Gran Sabana. Even though they\u2019re located inside indigenous territory, there\u2019s a presence of criollos, as non-indigenous outsiders are called by the local indigenous people. In the alluvium deposits mines, there is a constant use of mercury, which contaminates the soil, and over time its accumulation in the settling ponds percolates down into the water table, thus causing much damage to the ecosystem.<\/p>\n The indigenous people tend to underestimate the effects of the use of chemicals, and are not usually aware that industrialized implementations, such as pressurized water jets, are being used at the mining sites, instead of simply panning for gold nuggets or using picks and shovels.<\/p>\n Unlike the nearby municipal districts of El Callao, Sifontes and Roscio, there is an absence of irregular armed groups in the national park, although there is some harassment by the military. In contrast, closer to the border with Brazil, at the mines near Icabar\u00fa, where mining operations began in the 1940\u2019s, when two of the largest-ever Gran Sabana diamonds were found, violence is now leaving its scars, mining activity is accelerating and the impact is undeniable.<\/p>\n According to\u00a0SOSOrinoco<\/a>, mining operations have impacted 7,400 hectares in the areas surrounding CNP.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n