According to the Venezuelan environmental organization Clima21, the situation of recurring oil spills in the country shows no sign of improvement
The organization’s coordinator, Alejandro Álvarez, indicated that clima21 monitors the occurrence of oil spills through the follow-up of the media given that the representatives of the Venezuelan oil industry have not reported on the matter since 2016.
“We have been following the occurrence of oil spills for two years, and we have found that not much has changed. There is no improvement in the environmental management of the Venezuelan oil industry,” the environmental expert explained in a recent interview.
According to information provided by Clima21, the damage seems to be greater in Lake Maracaibo and on the western coast of the state of Falcón, around the Gulf of Coro and the Paraguaná Refining Complex, “where local fishermen have demanded the State-run oil company PDVSA to solve the problems of continuous oil leaks and spills.”
43 oil spills were recorded in the last six months alone, “a figure that remains relatively constant,” the environmental expert stated while pointing out that the environmental situation shows no sign of improvement despite the announcement of actions by government officials.”
Álvarez regretted that the population is not aware of the situation and the internal operation of the country’s oil industry, “but the response of the industry to the spills suggests that the prevention protocols are not being followed.”
When asked about the impact of oil spills on flora and fauna, Alvarez assured that no official information on the matter is currently available, and he recalled that the oil industry has the obligation to report on the causes and consequences of oil spills, which some officials have classified as “accidental spills.”
“All Venezuelans call for an efficient and responsible oil industry,” he concluded.
Translated by Jose Rafael Medina
