Sunday, September 19, 2021



The Pumé people (sometimes called Yaruro) live in  the savanna plains of Venezuela, the Llanos, located west of the Orinoco River. Most Pumé communities do not have clear land ownership rights to the areas that they occupy. Now all are threatened by land encroachment by cattle ranchers and illegal or semi-legal mining.

This video was made by OjosIlegales (RED), a LAB partner, who say:

“As allies of indigenous peoples and other minorities, we are working to make visible, disseminate and amplify, nationally and internationally their voices and their struggles for respect for diversity and human rights, for their territories and their cultures. In order to do this we use our own resources to make a series of documentary shorts aimed to publicize the most urgent and serious problems for these communities in Venzuela, including the threats of extreme violence they confront on a daily basis.

“We ask all who watch this video to consider how they can contribute and support this struggle financially.”



  1. This is a fake documentary of Venezuelan indigenous people. Our indigenous people have been attended by the government since 2000.

    • What sums up this superficial and clearly biased opinion is a supine ignorance and ignorance of the reality of our indigenous peoples in Venezuela. It is evident from the way that his false criterion is exposed, that there is no intention of Mr. Tomás Enrico Rosario Vargas to review, investigate, investigate, contrast sources, read reports from the communities themselves, assess the allegations of massacres, murders in order contribute in the search for solutions, its intention is to generate a controversy without meaning, justifying the unjustifiable. The historical violence against our indigenous peoples from the arrival of the Spanish conquest to the lands of Abya Yala to the present day is public knowledge both nationally and internationally. Even the Indian chroniclers make references in their treaties, in their letters, in their writings on the genocide committed in these lands and not only has it been practiced in a distant historical past, but that this vision against the indigenous peoples has been impregnated with racial, ethnic prejudices, treating our indigenous brothers as backward peoples and savage peoples what has justified systematic violence against our majority society to this day. It is totally false of all falsehood and in this case I have a scaffolding of information and experiential experience that I make available to the audience about these events from the historical to our current time.

      The opinion expressed by you, in relation to the words expressed in our micro documentary, Pumé by the indigenous brother of the Pume del Capànaparo Horomani and Beat Tokoi communities located in the Alto Apure in the south west of Venezuela Milian Ruiz is totally false and biased.

      You do not know in a deep way the reality of our native peoples, here it is not about defending a state or government management or a failed political project (allowed revolution as Fabricio Ojeda said) here it is about being objective in relation to the situation real of these communities and the systematic violation of all their rights, it is very serious to turn our back on our people denying the harsh and violent reality that confronts. You deny and generate a superficial opinion without any support, attend and visit with us the communities (Apure with the violent persecution that has ended in death and extermination on the part of the ranchers to our indigenous brothers, in the Delta where thousands of product die of AIDS and state neglect that does not provide health care and piracy that now assaults entire communities, in Bolívar and the Amazon contaminated by the mercury of thousands of garimpeiros where their lands have been devastated by the project of the ecological miner ( new concept of the comrades of the 21st century) of the Orinoco Mining Arc and its organized crime, the mafias, the corrupt military, the Colombian guerrillas and the paramilitaries, come with us and see and evidence the truth so that Brother Pume Milian Ruiz expresses is real and meaning is not a lie come and make evident the death by malnutrition of many children, the rebound of malaria-malaria that h has caused innumerable deaths without any sanitary medical assistance from this government, from these indigenous authorities and their institutions, observe and value the intrusion of cattle breeders who day after day have robbed the original territories to develop their herds, value and observe the massacres committed. We thank the indigenous peoples for their respect and in particular our work, which is nothing more than a sounding board for the situations that are experienced and suffered in these communities. We would like it to be different but it is not and every day is worse Mr. Tomás Enrico Rosario Vargas … There is abundant research, academic studies, studies by DDHH agencies, studies from the same Venezuelan state that attest to the deep violations that Today we are talking against our indigenous peoples. Please do not be superficial and read and investigate so that you become aware of the truth expressed in this micro documentary. It is his word against the word of the indigenous peoples in Venezuela.

      We are only a means. These are years of struggle alongside these communities, of social struggles alongside this people a thousand times deceived and swindled by dictatorships, false representative democracy and this political project full of legislative rhetoric, but without any change of values ​​and paradigms, this not the dream for which many of us have fought throughout our lives, we will have to reinvent ourselves in new possible utopias.

      Illegal eyes RED Francisco Prada-Ángela Rodríguez Torres
      Lo que resume esta opinión superficial y claramente sesgada es una ignorancia supina y un desconocimiento de la realidad de nuestros pueblos indígenas en Venezuela. Es evidente por la forma que está expuesto su criterio falso, que no existe la intención del Sr. Tomás Enrico Rosario Vargas de revisar, indagar, investigar, contrastar fuentes, leer informes de las propias comunidades, valorar las denuncias de masacres, asesinatos en fin aportar en la búsqueda de soluciones, su intención es la generar una polémica sin sentido, justificando lo injustificable. Es de conocimiento público tanto nacional como internacional la violencia histórica contra nuestros pueblos indígenas desde la llegada de la conquista española a las tierras de Abya Yala hasta nuestros días. Hasta los mismos cronistas de indias hacen referencias en sus tratados, en sus cartas, en su escritos del genocidio cometido en estas tierras y no solo ha sido practica en un pasado histórico lejano, si no que esa visión en contra de los pueblos originarios ha estado impregnada de prejuicios raciales, étnicos tratando a nuestros hermanos indígenas como pueblos atrasados y pueblos salvajes lo que ja justificado frente a nuestra sociedad mayoritaria la violencia sistemática hasta nuestros días. Es totalmente falso de toda falsedad y en este caso tengo todo un andamiaje de información y experiencia vivencial que pongo a la disposición de la audiencia sobre estos hechos desde lo histórico hasta nuestro tiempo actuales.

      La opinión vertida por usted, en relación a las palabras expresadas en nuestro micro documental, Pumé por el hermano indígena de las comunidades Pume del Capànaparo Horomani y Beat Tokoi ubicada en el Alto Apure al sur oeste de Venezuela Milian Ruiz es totalmente falsa y sesgada.

      Usted desconoce de una manera profunda la realidad de nuestros pueblos originarios, aquí no se trata de defender una gestión de estado o de gobierno ni un proyecto político fallido(revolución permitida como dijo Fabricio Ojeda) aquí se trata de ser objetivo en relación a la situación real de estas comunidades y la violación sistemática a todos sus derechos, es muy grave dar la espalda a nuestro pueblo negando la realidad dura y violenta que confronta. Usted niega y genera una opinión superficial y sin ninguna sustentación, asista y visite con nosotros a las comunidades (Apure con la persecución violenta que ha terminado en muerte y exterminio de parte de los ganaderos a nuestros hermanos indígenas, en el Delta donde mueren miles producto de Sida y la desidia de estado que no presta atención medico- sanitaria y la piratería que ahora asalta comunidades completas, en Bolívar y el Amazonas contaminado por el mercurio de miles de garimpeiros donde sus tierras han sido devastadas por el proyecto de la minera ecológica (nuevo concepto de los camaradas del siglo XXI) del Arco Minero del Orinoco y su crimen organizado, las mafias, los militares corrompidos, las guerrilla colombiana y los paracos, venga con nosotros y vea y evidencie la verdad para que lo que el hermano Pume Milian Ruiz expresa es real y sentido no es mentira venga y haga evidente la muerte por desnutrición de muchos niños, el repunte de la malaria-paludismo que ha causado innumerables muertes sin ningún tipo de asistencia medico sanitaria por parte de este gobierno, de estas autoridades indígenas y de sus instituciones, observe y valore la intromisión de ganaderos que día a día han roban los territorios originarios para desarrollar sus hatos, valore y observe las masacres cometidas. Agradecemos respeto a los pueblos originarios y en particular a nuestro trabajo que no es más que una caja de resonancia de las situaciones que se viven y se padecen en estas comunidades. Quisiéramos que fuera diferente pero no lo es y cada día es peor Sr. Tomás Enrico Rosario Vargas… Existe abundante investigación, estudios académicos, estudios por organismos de DD HH, estudios de el mismo estado venezolano que dan fe de las profundas violaciones que se comente hoy día contra nuestros pueblos indígenas. Por favor no sea superficial y lea e investigue para que tome conciencia de la verdad expresada en este micro documental. Es su palabra contra la palabra de los pueblos indígenas en Venezuela.

      Nosotros somos solo un medio. Son años de lucha al lado de estas comunidades, de luchas sociales al lado de este pueblo mil veces engañado y estafado por las dictaduras, la falsa democracia representativa y este proyecto político lleno de retórica legislativa, pero sin ningún cambio de valores y paradigmas, este no el sueño por el que muchos hemos luchado a lo largo de la vida, habrá que reinventarnos en nuevas utopías posibles.

      Ojos ilegales RED Francisco Prada-Ángela Rodríguez Torres

  2. Two Jivi indigenous leaders have been missing for a month. The events occur around the “El Silencio” mine located in the Caura National Park. At that site in August last year, six people were killed, including a Jivi cacique and his son. The acts of violence and persecution, especially against indigenous people, are increasing in the Guayana region and have a direct relationship with mining.

    Por Ojos ilegales REd dela plataforma contra el AMO

    Two indigenous leaders of the Bolívar state, Venezuela, have been missing for a month

    Nelson Perez, general captain of the indigenous communities of the Jivi ethnic group of El Silencio, denounced the disappearance of two of their indigenous leaders of the Sucre de Bolívar municipality.

    “It is true that illegal mining came to our territory but I do not agree with the practice because now we have to confront us with violent groups because it is a danger for us that is why we demand respect for our territories and the non-violation of our right as peoples. originating, as it is contemplated in the Constitution and in the LOPCI, for that reason I demand to the forces of security of the State that are devoted immediately to the search of these 2 brothers who are missing for about a month, without any news of they”.

    In the sector there is an increasingly delicate situation due to the violence associated with illegal mining activity. In August of last year, six people died, including the cacique of the La Felicidad community and his son, in a confrontation over control of the El Silencio mine.

    In spite of the conflict, inhabitants of the indigenous communities of the Cedeño municipality have advocated for the operation of the mine and on the other hand they have requested that the activity of armed mining bands in this area and the rest of the mining deposits in the state be controlled, especially in those where entire indigenous communities are at the mercy of these groups, while they have expressed their rejection of the criminalization that has been made of their ethnic group as a result of this confrontation over the control of the El Silencio mine, located on indigenous lands.

  3. The problem with the Orinoco Mining Arc stems from the lack of transparency about the mining activity in the country.

    By 2019, the towns south of Bolívar foresee a resurgence of mining violence, to continue the exploration and exploitation of the Orinoco Mining Arc, which covers more than 111,000 square kilometers, where 30% of the region’s indigenous peoples live. they have not been consulted about this project on which there is still no environmental impact study, despite the fact that the Venezuelan government has presented it as “ecosocialist”.

    Mining activity continues to be handled illegally, where the government’s policy has been to offer concessions to transnationals, while the Venezuelan miner is overlooked.

    “There are no labor guarantees or security for Venezuelans.”

    It exemplifies how, in the case of the Gold Reserve, royalties were offered to 13% for 18 million hectares without these passing through the Central Bank of Venezuela (BCV), as was the case previously. Even today, the exact reserves of gold and diamond in the country are unknown.

    Recently, before the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights (CIDH), held in Panama, different NGOs warned about the environmental threats of the exploitation of the Orinoco Mining Arc, where 16 indigenous peoples are located. Government representatives, despite the incorporation of foreign companies, admitted the lack of environmental impact study.

    Its justification starts from the fact that exploitation would only be done in a fifth of the area of ​​the Mining Arc. The environmentalist leader and vice president of the Ecological Movement of Venezuela (Movev), Pastora Medina, claims that without prior study and without consulting the indigenous people, the government can not guarantee the safety and preservation of environmental reserves or the lives of those there. they inhabit.

    With the decree of the State of Emergency and Exception, President Nicolás Maduro took power to grant concessions to foreign companies without having the approval of the National Assembly, despite this being a violation of the Magna Carta.

    Organizations have promoted campaigns to stop these actions, which have been denounced and exposed, mentioning how the project has been put on human rights.

    According to the Minister of People’s Power of Mining and Ecological Development, Roberto Mirabal, the resources of the Orinoco Mining Arc are valued at around 2 trillion dollars, for minerals such as gold, bauxite, iron, diamond, titanium, copper, tin, coal , quartz, coltan and nickel.

    Mirabal recently also reported on the entry of 400 kilos of gold into the national reserves, which come from the Orinoco Mining Arc.

    “The problem is distrust, because although Bolívar has always been a mining state, it is managed through mafias that the government has not been able to control because it is also immersed in them. Not having updated reports of our gold and diamond reserves already generates mistrust, because we do not know where those reserves stop, that they mostly leave the country for green roads, “said the sociologist.

    Attack on indigenous peoples

    It was questioned the hiring of the Gold Reserve for the exploitation of the Mining Arc, which would be the one that would collect the benefits of any agreement with the State.

    For his part, the former director of the Indigenous University of Venezuela, Esteban Emilio Mosonyi Szász, warned about the ecocide that means the exploitation of the Orinoco Mining Arc because “there is no ecological mining”, warning that this activity endangers the lives of the indigenous peoples that would be evicted and on which the State does not have a plan for it either.

    • Thanks, Francisco. This is very interesting. We hope to cover the issue in LAB’s forthcoming book on Community Resistance to Mining in Latin America

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