Despite protests by the Colombian indigenous Wayu community, the Venezuela government-run oil company Petrleos de Venezuela (pdv) recently agreed to allow the laying of the Venezuelan-Colombian Trans-Caribbean gas pipeline across the Wayu territory.
The agreement was signed after pdv agreed to compensate the indigenous people for environmental damage to their land. The Wayu community, however, alleged that neither the Colombian nor the Venezuelan government took the indigenous people into account while discussing the social policies to be implemented for the native communities. So, they refute to lift protests until "the agreement becomes socialised with all the communities".
The 250-km pipeline project, worth us$355 million, will link the western Venezuelan city of Maracaibo with eastern Colombia's Puerto Ballenas. The pipeline will transit 150 million cubic feet of gas a day from Colombia to Venezuela during the initial four years. Later, experts say, Venezuela might stand to profit from the deal. The construction work on the pipeline in Colombia started in December 2006.
We are a voice to you; you have been a support to us. Together we build journalism that is independent, credible and fearless. You can further help us by making a donation. This will mean a lot for our ability to bring you news, perspectives and analysis from the ground so that we can make change together.
.png)
Comments are moderated and will be published only after the site moderator’s approval. Please use a genuine email ID and provide your name. Selected comments may also be used in the ‘Letters’ section of the Down To Earth print edition.