2015: President Maduro Canceled Decree for Chinese Development of New Coal Mines

In January 2015, China agreed to invest $20 billion in Venezuelan projects. One project was for the development of new coal mines in the Northwestern Perija mountain range.

On February 10, 2015, President Maduro signed Presidential Decree 1606 which granted the Chinese state-owned Sinohydro-the largest hydroelectric construction firm in the world-a 30-year lease to exploit the coal reserves of the Guasare river basin and the mountainous Sierra de Perija region, comprising approximately 24,192 hectares(nearly 60,000 acres)[1].According to government plans, Sinohydro would export coal from five designated lots, while constructing a coal-electric plant which would generate between 8,000 and 10,000 megawatts for Venezuela’s western states[2].The electric plant would require the rerouting  of the Socuy River. The region was populated by Wayuu and Yukpa indigenous people.

Activists from diverse social movements demanded the repeal of Decree 1606 because of its potential negative effects on the environment and for the indigenous peoples of the region. Opponents claimed that the project would cause extensive deforestation as well as contaminate the Socuy, Machay, and Cachiri rivers with negative consequences for biodiversity as well as the health of people in five municipalities in Zulia state [1]

After months of grassroots organizing, numerous protests in the capital and an extensive social media campaign, a “correction” of Presidential decree 1606 was published in the Official Gazette on August 27,2015 revoking plans for the new coal mines and the coal-electric plant [3]. Sinohydro would only be permitted to extract coal from two already-open coal mines in the region.


 


1.Venezuelan Social Movements Rally Against State Coal Mining Decree, Venezuelanalysis, July 31, 2015

2.Maduro Signs Decree to Re-open Controversial Coal Mines for Chinese Development, Venezuelanalysis, April 8, 2015.

3. Social Movement Victory: Venezuela’s Maduro Derails Plan for New Carbon Mines, Venezuelanalysis, September 4, 2015

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