Venezuela opposes environmental commodification at COP17 meeting

During the COP17 High-Level Segment of the Convention on Biological Diversity in Armenia, Venezuela's Minister for Ecosocialism, Nelson Rodríguez, called for an end to the commodification of nature. He argued that production models treating biodiversity as a commodity or a tool for geopolitical pressure have exacerbated the global environmental crisis.

Rodríguez highlighted Venezuela's status as one of 17 megadiverse nations, noting the country protects over 20,000 flora species, 5,000 fauna species, and approximately 150,000 insect species under its National Strategy for the Conservation of Biological Biodiversity 2024-2030. Key conservation achievements mentioned include the release of over 12,000 Orinoco crocodiles and programs for freshwater and marine turtles, Andean condors, and spectacled bears.

Furthermore, the Venezuelan delegation reported that Areas Under Special Regime of Administration (ABRAE) cover 67.52% of the national territory. With 31.7% of these areas meeting International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) criteria, the country claims to be ahead of the 2030 global targets set by the Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework.