Canaima National Park faces new illegal mining threat

The NGO SOS Orinoco has reported the discovery of a new 5.8-hectare illegal mining site within Venezuela’s Canaima National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. The site was identified near the Playa Linda area at the confluence of the Carrao and Caroní rivers in Bolívar state.

According to the organization, the mining operation is allegedly being driven by Pemón indigenous leaders from Canaima’s Sector 2, working in coordination with political and military figures. This activity is reportedly causing deep internal fractures within local communities.

Environmental concerns include mercury pollution spreading up to 100 kilometers downstream and sedimentation that threatens the turbines of the Guri Dam, a critical component of Venezuela’s energy system. SOS Orinoco noted that there are already over 1,800 hectares of illegal mining within Canaima and 49 active dredges operating in the Caroní River. The NGO has called on UNESCO to conduct a monitoring mission, noting that the Venezuelan government continues to postpone such efforts.