Human Rights and the Environment

Case Study: Protecting Forest Reserves

Country: Venezuela

Region: Central & South America

Issues: Resource Extraction, Public Participation, Indigenous People, Litigation

The ecologically-rich Imataca Forest Reserve of northeastern Venezuela and its inhabitants, five indigenous tribal groups, have been protected under national laws for thirty years. In 1997, however, Venezuela's president issued Presidential Decree 1850 and thereby opened the reserve and its subterranean deposits of gold and diamonds to multinational mining and logging companies. Decree 1850 grants mining concessions across 40% of the reserve, leaving less than 4% of the forest fully protected. In response to three separate suits protesting this action, the Venezuelan Supreme Court announced that it would investigate the decree's legality and banned new mining concessions while it considered the matter. The decree has been challenged on the grounds that it violates (1) the public's right to participate in environmental decision making, (2) separation of governmental powers, and (3) various international conventions for protection of biodiversity and the rights of indigenous peoples. In the meantime, the affected tribes have been active in protecting their homeland. In 1998, hundreds of indigenous people blocked the main highway to Brazil to protest the construction of a power line between Venezuela and Brazil which would provide electricity to gold mines.[1]

[1] See Global Response Action, "Protect Imataca Forest Reserve in Venezuela," Sept. 3, 1998; See also Greenwire, "Venezuela: Tensions Mount Over Rainforest Development," Aug. 14, 1998.

Last Updated: 09/09/05