Venezuela: Indigenous organizations denounce cuts in land demarcations in Amazonas, 6 August 2012

Government moves to cut the Hoti people's lands in the Venezuelan State of Amazonas by 42% have been denounced by all the main indigenous peoples' organizations. The Hoti were only brought into sustained contact with the national society by missionaries in the 1960s and many groups are still choosing to remain out of contact in the forested highlands. After flawed consultations, the Government has proposed reducing the Hoti territory by almost half, thereby excluding from protection the most isolated groups. Observers believe that mining interests have pressured the Government to open up the area for coltan and gold mining, although such mining continues to be illegal in the State. The statement notes that the Hoti case is only one of several Government proposals which ignore the full extent of indigenous peoples' land claims.

Click here to read the statement by indigenous organisations in the Venezuelan State of Amazonas (in Spanish only).