Venezuelan Amazonian Indigenous Peoples travel to Caracas to call for a moratorium on mining in their territories

Indigenous peoples from the Venezuelan State of Amazonas grouped together under the umbrella organisation COIAM (Coordinadora de Organizaciones Indigenas de Amazonas) have mobilised in opposition to new plans to open up their State to mining. COIAM called on the Government to heed their grave concerns at new plans developed with Chinese business groups to exploit an arc of minerals across the State, which will inevitably affect their territories. Noting that the new mining policy violates several of their Constitutionally-guaranteed rights and other pieces of national law, they called for a moratorium on all mining in their territories. (June 2013)Further information: Spanish only.