Although the government accused indigenous communities of insincerity and of allowing themselves to be manipulated by foreign interests, the highly publicised blockade ended when the government promised to start negotiations with the indigenous communities and their leaders. Scarcely a year ago, Venezuela caught the eye of international press due to ferocious public opposition to a Presidential Decree which opened up the 3.5 millions hectare Imataca Forestry Reserve to industrial mining. Unfolding the story On 5 th August, shortly after the start of the blockade, a public demonstration took place in Caracas. As part of the act, a letter was handed in to the National Congress. The document, signed by leading conservationists and organisations, links the environmental crisis of the country to a model of development based on short-term economic gains.
Development is a double-edged sword for all concerned.
The state wants to benefit from the abundant natural and mineral resources of the Venezuelan Guyana region and actively encourages the construction of an industrial infrastructure which would boost investment. Environmentalists clash with this conception. The many actors involved in the polemic about the future of Venezuelan rainforest are in itself a good indicator of the diversity of interests at stake. Ecologists' concern is based on the widespread impact of the project. The environmental consequences of constructing more than 500 pylons along a road of 686 kilometres cannot be restricted to the route alone.