Caracas Chronicles

A few days ago Miguel Rodríguez, the Environment Minister, leading a march toward Miraflores, said this:

“Let’s put on a great national demonstration to show the indignation that is felt at this moment in the Venezuelan environmental movement because of what is happening (…) A demonstration of what we are going to do for our nature, our species, our ecosystems”

My inner Greenie-Sea-Shepherd-loving-dolphin-worshiper-wetland-junkie squealed with joy.

I was like YES, FUCK YES, FINALLY. What are we going to do? Are we going to go Rambo mode in Amazonas and Bolívar to stop illegal gold mining once and for all?

Because many of the illegal and small scale gold mining uses mercury without control causing grave environmental problems in the the Venezuelan Guayana. Mercury contamination  has been a public health issue for 25 years, and over 92% of the Ye´kuana and Sanema women from the Caura River basin have mercury levels higher than the safe levels established by the WHO (and we all know what happened in Minamata).

No!

Do you want to detour dump trucks from the  landfills and have them throw the waste in front of the mayor’s houses so we can finally get moving on a solid waste disposal system in the whole country?

Venezuela has doubled its solid waste production per person in only seven years, to almost 1kg per person per day, and the solid waste system has trailed far behind. We have seen a rise in illegal dumping grounds and their effect on human health and the wellbeing of the ecosystem.

Or, are you in with washing the walls of Miraflores with some raw sewage? I mean, just to make the point that 70% of our wastewater falls untreated in to our aquatic ecosystems. Important and iconic rivers and bodies of waters are polluted (Tuy river, Maracaibo and Valencia lakes), and to make matters worse, some of them serve double duty as water reservoirs for human consumption (the Guarapiche river in Monagas for example).

Is it pesticide regulation and ensurance of compliance of the legislature? ‘Cause I could totally back you on that. Do we steal the containers?  Because … I know a guy who knows a guy.

Oh …you mean something less ecoterrorist. Ok, I can do that. I mean, I can totally be non-confrontational when it comes to the environment

So, what important environmental impact are we channelling?

The what? The protests? You are talking about the environmental effect of the protests?

Oh, I mean, you said Ecocide, so I thought, it would be one of these. I mean, have you seen the effects of the illegal mining in the Venezuelan Guayana, that’s ecocide territory right there. But that’s cool, there are a lot of other environmental problems that need looking up to.

So, are we talking about using expired tear gas canisters and their effect on the environment?

No?

I’m sorry, so what are we indignant about again?

5000 trees and trash burning?

…

Not that I agree with that, I mean, yes, trash burning is a hazard, specially when it is not done in a controlled furnace at the right temperatures. Still, you do know San Miguelito has been ablaze sin last February in Tachira, don’t you? And who knows how many illegal dumping ground are on fire at this moment? So, wouldn’t it be better to focus on those?

And 5000 trees? Really, I mean, that number is as absurd. Sorry, I just have to call you out on that one.

I mean, not to be rude, but it’s starting to look like you’re using these very serious environmental issues … for your political agenda which is centered on trying to criminalize the protests.

Wait, you wouldn’t be totally, unabashedly using the environment for your political persecution now, would you? Would you?