Moved by concern, the Mayor of the Torres Municipality in Lara State, Javier Oropeza, offered a detailed balance to the entity’s governor, Adolfo Pereira, on the situation generated in this municipality by indiscriminate deforestation and charcoal production. Problems that in recent months have been denounced by environmental experts and has been monitored by lapatilla.com.
Yanitza Martínez // Correspondent lapatilla.com
Following the request of the opposition leader Oropeza, the Governor of Lara State commissioned General Martín Maldonado, who is Secretary of Security and Peace of this entity, to hold a meeting with the mayor and representatives and security forces in the region.
Mayor Oropeza expressed his concern about the continued and systematic felling and burning of tree species in the Torres municipality, especially in the Camacaro and Reyes Vargas parishes as a result of the illegal exploitation and trade of charcoal.
The burgomaster pointed out that this large-scale ecocide threatens the biomass and fragile fauna of this area, as well as the water reserves that compound this jurisdiction and from which the entire population of Torres is supplied.
In the presentation, the president of this municipality also pointed out that the Mayor’s Office of Torres has opened spaces to consult the citizens, affected residents, public powers, the municipal legislative power and charcoal traders, to prepare a document that will later be presented before instances such as the Public Ministry and the Ministry of Ecosocialism.
The meeting also warned about the threats to species such as curarí, cardón and vera, (slow growth hardwoods) typical of the local semi-arid ecosystem and which require more than a decade for their regeneration.
About the fauna, about nine species of birds would be at risk, among others, the dirty-faced parrot, the macaw, the “turpial” (local oriole) and the cardinal, as well as an important group of insects, mammals and reptiles.
Another area that has been suffering the ravages of this serious ecological damage is goat farming and the gastronomic products derived from it.
Furthermore, the Mayor of Torres warned that this deforestation has given rise to an increasingly pronounced migratory process suffered by low-level agricultural trades, such as paprika, onion and tomato, towards charcoal production, primarily among young people who have abandoned traditional agricultural practices.
Finally, General Martín Maldonado recommended reviewing the permits of the charcoal trading companies, as well as developing an environmental education program aimed at those who are engaged in charcoal production and carrying out a diagnosis of the situation to be presented to government authorities.