The municipalities Roscio, Callao and Sifontes, to the south of the state Bolivar, became paralyzed all this Wednesday to demand to the Central bank of Venezuela (BCV) the revision of the resolution 09-06-03 that establishes the regime of gold commercialization and allows the private mining companies to export only 30% of the auriferous production and to destine the rest to the internal market. Workers, community and retailers marched in Guasipati, Callao and Tumeremo and was united in a great caravan to express their displeasure with this regime that, little by little, has come asphyxiating financially to the deprived miners of the south.

they *Solicitan relaxation to export 50% of the auriferous production.

*Las localities of the south fear that a strong wave of unemployment is generated.

Carlos Andres Monsalve
Photo William Urdaneta

Guasipati. - Separating differences from all nature, the inhabitants of the populations of Guasipati, Callao and Tumeremo, they united its forces to demand to a single voice “equality of treatment for the deprived companies of gold”, giving fulfillment to hour zero, summoned by the unions of workers with the endorsement of the commercial sector of these municipalities of the south of the state Bolivar.

Workers, mainly of Rusoro Mining, the deprived mining company - of more important Russian capital of the south, next to the seven unions of the auriferous sector realised the mobilization, to reject resolution 09-06-03, published in the Official Newspaper N° 39,201 of the 22 of June of 2009, emitted by the Central bank of Venezuela that establishes the regime of commercialization of gold, same that could take to the bankruptcy to the miner.

The official resolution establishes that the private mining companies must sell “obligatorily” 60% of their gold production to the BCV and a 10% to the internal transforming sector, whereas 30% rest can be exported, but the dollars of the sale must be repatriated to the country and happen through the change control of 4.30 bolivars by dollar.

The company asks for a relaxation of the resolution, so that it is allowed them to orient a 50% of the auriferous production to the internal market and a 50% to the export, consequently could cover its increasing production costs.

This regime 50%-50% is indeed the applied one to the mining companies in which the Republic has an equal or greater participation to 50% of the share capital, as Venrusca happens in the case of the mixed company and the state Minerven.

Successful unemployment
The call to unemployment of the commerce in the Sifontes municipalities, Callao and Roscio was accepted and endorsed with great success. From the first hours in the morning of this Wednesday, it was possible to demonstrate that more of 95% of the retailers in this region they did not abrieron his doors.

While, the workers of the companies Rusoro Mining and Mining Productora of Guayana (PMG), accompanied by representatives of the union by retailers, communal advice and civil society, prepared the marches corresponding to each population.

Another group of organizers was in charge to prepare one kilometric caravan of vehicles, that reached more than 300 cars and crossed the involved towns.

The results of the call provided effects in the high government, because the general manager of PMG, Jose Manuel Rodriguez, declared to the mass media that took the steps necessary to initiate a conversation table. “Minister of Basic Industries and Minería, Jose Khan, presents/displays a new opportunity to solve this problem, the conversations will occur in the next days”, assured.

They request speed
The union representative Douglas Oaks declared with great enthusiasm that people left her houses to endorse the miners, considering that the life of these towns of the south resides in the auriferous production.

“They are 100% closed the businesses, they are the workers, students, retailers, they know that if we remained without companies, we remained without use and without economy”, it asserted.

It requested speed in the solution of the conflict on the part of the governmental authorities that for a year refuse to negotiate.

Alexander Whistles, president of the Chamber of Commerce of the municipality Callao, alerted that “hour zero” was realised because “we are defending our bread of every day, we we depend here is of gold, not of petroleum, cannot accept the future of our children, asked to recall to mind”, limited.

The union leader, Carlos González, applauded the attendance of people and said that the expectations were fulfilled. “We have obtained a great impact and when this happens, soon the reactions come, we know that now yes they are going to us to take care of. We ask is 50 and the 50 like a companies of the government”, finalized.

Town in the street
Raiza González, member of the communal advice of Loma Linda, was added to the marches, the being affected before the hypothetical case that the mining companies close. “There would be more unemployment, a measurement of to that affects us size to all, we we are benefitted with the social supports that the company gives us”, it assured.

Florence Master was present at from the door of its house all the route of the caravans and indicated its approval to the reclamations of company PMG. “What this defending PMG is a right cause, they are requesting equality, to be able to continue being operative. If these companies are closed we would see seriously affected. The gold is the life of these towns”, stood out.

Financial asphyxia

Maria Ramirez Hair
[email protected]

Meudys Leon, corporative manager of Strategic Planning of Rusoro Mining, declared that the company lives a financial asphyxia, reason for which is vitally important the revision of the resolution of the BCV.

“Although 30% of the production can be exported, we must repatriate it according to the exchange agreement N° 12 and we are practically selling 90% of the production to the BCV. That has prevented us to cover our costs, to pay to creditors, to increase the uses and to generate the investment that was predicted”.

Mario Acosta, corporative Atmosphere superintendent, maintained that they demand equality of conditions to have access to currencies. “We have an amount of very ambitious and very good projects and must take the opportunity to make the investments”, indicated.

The managers of the company recognized that the economic situation has affected the production goals. In the 2009 4 tons of gold took place, and for this year they inhale a production of 3 tons.

Eric Márquez, member of contraloría metallurgical of the company, needed that the social investment as much as productive she has paused. “An investment of 250 million dollars in 18 months was considered and nothing has been fulfilled”, said.

Rusoro Mining operates the mines Isidora and Choco 10. It owns a list of 1,200 direct employees and more than 12 thousand indirect ones in the municipalities of the south of Bolivar.

Mercal mega to reduce force

The mayors of the Roscio municipalities and the Pebble realised the call of days of Mercales Mega to reduce force to “hour zero”; nevertheless, the workers rejected the measurement and criticized that the local governments did not manage any solution to the problem of the mining in these municipalities where more than three thousand people they benefit and they promote the local economy.