Pemon conflict

Pemon conflict
Part of the Crisis in Venezuela
Bolivarian Army of Venezuela in Gran Sabana, a Pemón area
Date Late 2018—ongoing Location Bolívar (state) and Amazonas (state), Venezuela Status Ongoing
Belligerents
National Bolivarian Armed Forces Colectivos ELN Tupamaro	Pemon territorial guard Rebels of the 513 Infantry Battalion Armed Pemon and civil rebels Pemon and civil demonstrators Supported by:  Brazil (until 2023)	Venezuelan and Brazilian organized crime groups
Commanders and leaders
Nicolás Maduro	Indigenous leaders	Unknown
Casualties and losses
1 soldier killed Several soldiers and colectivos wounded +50 soldiers captured	53 Pemons killed 1 rebel soldier killed 80 disappeared +100 civilians wounded 1 rebel soldier captured +57 arrested	Unknown

Crisis in Venezuela
Causes Bolivarian Revolution Chavismo Economic policy under Hugo Chávez Economic policy under Nicolás Maduro
Effects Refugee crisis Blackouts Energy crisis Defections International sanctions Interventions of political parties Piracy Shortages Venezuela–Colombia migrant crisis Hyperinflation Catatumbo campaign Xenophobic incidents Pemon conflict
Events Dakazo La Salida Arrest of Antonio Ledezma 2016 recall movement 2017 Venezuelan constitutional crisis Lima Group 2018 re-election campaign of Nicolás Maduro Venezuelan presidential crisis 2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela Venezuela Aid Live COVID-19 pandemic 2022 recall movement 2023 Unitary Platform presidential primaries
Elections 2013 presidential election 2015 parliamentary election 2017 referendum 2017 Constituent Assembly election 2018 presidential election 2020 parliamentary election 2023 referendum
Protests 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Timeline 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
Armed violence Caracas helicopter incident 2017 National Assembly attack Attack on Fort Paramacay El Junquito raid Caracas drone attack 2019 uprising attempt 2020 Barquisimeto shooting Operation Gideon (2020) 2021 Apure clashes 2022 Arauca clashes
Venezuela portal
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The Pemon conflict is an ongoing conflict which is a part of the wider Crisis in Venezuela. The conflict is centered around mining disputes between the Maduro government, the Pemon nation (indigenous people that live in the Gran Sabana region in southeastern Venezuela) and armed irregular groups. The Pemon nation is divided by the border between Venezuela and Brazil, resulting in Pemon refugees regularly crossing the border into Brazil for safety and medical care. The conflict is centred on disputes over mining in the Orinoco Mining Arc,^[1] a 112,000 km² area of the Amazon Rainforest rich in gold, diamonds, coltan, and uranium,^[2] which are also home to the Pemon people.

On 24 February 2016 the "Arco Mining Orinoco National Strategic Development Zone" was officially created, a government sponsored mining project.^[1][3] Venezuelan scholars, the opposition National Assembly and the NGO PROVEA have publicly expressed their concern at the violation of rights of indigenous communities and its environmental impact.^{[4][5][6][7][8]} In 2020, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Michelle Bachelet, denounced that workers in the Orinoco Mining Arc had been subjected to serious abuse and violence.^[9] In March 2016, 28 miners were killed and kidnapped in the town of Tumeremo, Bolívar state,^[10] and between 14 and 16 October 2018, 16 miners at Los Candados mine were killed and 6 wounded in at least the third civilian massacre in Tumeremo since 2016.^[11]

During the 2019 shipping of humanitarian aid to Venezuela and after supplies were stockpiled on the Brazilian border, Venezuelan Dragoon 300 armoured fighting vehicles of the Armored Cavalry Squadron entered the Gran Sabana region.^[12] Indigenous Pemon blocked the entry of the military vehicles into the region and clashes between both groups followed suit.^[13] On 22 February, the day before the delivery was set, soldiers loyal to Maduro fired upon them, killing two and wounding fifteen,^[13] and the Pemon responded by capturing soldiers and setting fire to a military outpost of the Santa Elena de Uairén airport.^[14] The following day more than 2,000 indigenous people from the region gathered at the border to assist with the entrance of the aid.^[15] The Venezuelan National Guard repressed demonstrations near Brazil,^[16] leaving at least four dead and about 20 injured.^[17] By the end of the conflict, National Assemblyman Romel Guzamana, a chieftain of the Pemon community in Gran Sabana, stated that at least 25 Pemon were killed.^[18] The National Assembly declared that 80 Pemons had disappeared since the massacre, in addition to the death toll claimed by Guzamana.^[19]

The vast wealth located in the Mining Arc makes indigenous lands prime real estate for both state-sanctioned and illegal mining operations, at the cost of widespread ecological damage and displacement of indigenous peoples living in conflict zones. A series of turf wars in the Gran Sabana between the armed forces, guerrillas, and organized crime groups, combined with the power struggle between Nicolás Maduro and Juan Guaidó, have created the ongoing conflict.