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Venezuela critical-minerals push raises risks for uncontacted communities
Mining.com warns that the Orinoco Mining Arc, where forced labor and environmental damage are reported, could worsen without stronger human-rights and forest safeguards.
Venezuela’s growing profile as a destination for global mining investment, after the US removed President Nicolás Maduro in January, could increase pressure on uncontacted Indigenous peoples, whose livelihoods depend on forest ecosystems increasingly exposed to mineral development, according to Mining.com.
The article says Venezuela is rich in minerals including gold, bauxite, coltan, iron ore and nickel, which are sought by technology, energy and defense companies. It argues that while demand for critical minerals is rising, developing these resources could bring major human and environmental costs, with some of the most severe abuses and environmental destruction tied to Venezuela’s Orinoco Mining Arc.
Mining.com describes reported abuses tied to gold deposits, including forced labor, human trafficking and sexual exploitation, involving Colombian armed groups, organized crime networks and Venezuelan criminal syndicates competing for control. It also cites contamination of waterways and forest loss linked to mining alongside ineffective environmental enforcement.
The outlet adds that Survival International’s report identified at least 196 uncontacted Indigenous peoples and groups across 10 countries, and that more than 96% face threats from extractive industries and exploration. Mining.com says Venezuela has an opportunity to put credible human-rights and environmental safeguards in place before large-scale commercial development proceeds, emphasizing protection of the forests that uncontacted communities rely on.
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