A new murder that occurred in the illegal mines of the Yapacana National Park has come to light in recent hours, stated the NGO “Kapé Kapé” in a report sent to the press this Saturday.
By Correspondent La Patilla.-
José William Moreno, an inhabitant of San Fernando, Capital of Atabapo, is the new victim of the violence unleashed against the indigenous people.
Those who knew him told Kapé Kapé that he was a great colleague and “a worker like no other”. He spent his time in the Yapacana mines “working hard, like everyone here in Atabapo,” said a source who requested anonymity.
Moreno, 37, was from Puinave ethnicity, a people that occupy a territory that straddles the borders of Colombia, Brazil and Venezuela.
Inhabitants of Atabapo, who have contacts with relatives and friends in the mines, affirmed that the victim must have been murdered by people who belong to the governs backed irregular armed groups that operate and control the illegal mining exploitation in Yapacana.
The crime occurred last weekend, although in Puerto Ayacucho it was only known in the last few hours. The event took place in a mine known as “Cisa” and the body was taken to “Caño Oso”, also within the Yapacana National Park.
It should be noted that this is not the first murder that occurs in the mines of the aforementioned natural park. A year ago, a relative of José William Moreno was also killed. This was José Da’costa Moreno, a teacher who left the classroom to enter the dangerous mines controlled by armed gangs.
The NGO Kapé Kapé indicated that the police and security agencies in Puerto Ayacucho are aware of the incident, but in Atabapo there is no CICPC delegation and the logistics to move a criminalistics and investigation team to the area of the event. This requires resources that, they say, they do not possess.
It transpired that officials from the Bolivarian National Guard of Atabapo, with the help of a medical professional, went to the site to investigate the incident.
In Atabapo, some friends of the victim are calling on the population to mobilize next Tuesday to the headquarters of the Municipal Council so that there may be justice for this abominable crime.
Organizations that monitor mining activity in southern Venezuela estimate that there are at least 44 mining sites in the Yapacana National Park, not counting those that remain clandestine.
In the rivers and streams that converge in these protected areas, rafts and dredgers are also used, easily located because they are located in fully navigable waterways. Generally these boats are run by Colombians and, to a lesser extent, by Brazilians, according to the NGO Kapé Kapé.
