The Los Roques archipelago is a paradise that represents many things. Those who live there see it simply as their home and source of work while many people, not just Venezuelans, consider it a dream destination for a vacation. Experts in environmental issues assure that it is an area of great importance for the ecosystem, although judging by the actions and ways of proceeding Nicolás Maduro’s regime sees it as a “tourist mine” that they are willing to exploit despite the environmental risks.
lapatilla.com correspondent
Declared a national park in 1972, the archipelago has an area of approximately 40 square kilometers, although it encompasses a marine ecological system that is around 220,000 hectares (2,200 sq km; 849 sq miles) , and is made up of coral islands and rocky islets, coral reefs, among other wonders of nature, according to information from the Venezuelan Society of Ecology (SVE).
Among the most noticeable constructions are the inns offered to tourists and a small airport located in ‘El Gran Roque’, whose runway has been expanding for several months. All this has generated grave concern among environmental experts.
One of the main concerns that has led oceanographers, researchers, ecologists, marine biologists and others to raise their voice of rejection through public communications is that it is not known whether the relevant environmental impact studies for this construction were carried out (at least these are not publicly known) neither who gave the permissions for their construction.
It must be remembered that ‘Los Roques’ is part of the ‘Francisco de Miranda Insular Territory’ (TIFM), along with ‘La Orchila’ island and the ‘Las Aves’ archipelago. The greatest authority in this area is directly appointed by the central government from Miraflores and currently that position is occupied by Rear Admiral Aníbal Coronado.
Irreversible damage
The consulted experts, who preferred to remain anonymous for fear of reprisals, commented that the expansion of the landing strip causes irreversible damage since, in the first place, to carry it out in the northern head of the island, a small bay located in that area had to disappear. This could only be done by filling it, and for this purpose solid waste that had been piling up for years was used.
The sources made reference to a statement issued by the Venezuelan Society of Ecology, which explains that the two actions mentioned above flagrantly violate the fundamental instrument for the administration of the ‘Los Roques Archipelago National Park’ (Pnalr), which in this case is the Governing Plan and Regulation of Use (PORU), in force since January 1991.
“The statement was signed by all those who are concerned about this issue, as a way to raise awareness more than make a complaint, since we know how the laws are handled in the country. The letter makes it clear that, according to the PORU, only rustic and simple construction necessary for tourism, environmental conservatorship and recreation activities can be built or maintained within the Pnalr, such as, for example, shelters, viewpoints, picnic areas, etc.,” indicated the spokesperson of the group.
He added that there is also talk about the final disposal of solid waste generated by the population and tourist activity, which should be classified and transported to the mainland by public organizations and tourism service providers. In short, the works carried out to extend the runway approximately 300 meters is illegal.
The ‘Caribe Sur’ Foundation emphasized that the only rocky hill in the archipelago is being destroyed to mine construction material with which they are going to carry out the works. They reiterated that the aforementioned action is destroying the only sandy beach in the Pnalr, which has dire consequences.
“That is the only beach used for nesting by the hawksbill turtle (Eretmochelys imbricata), a species that is in danger of extinction. The ‘Los Roques’ archipelago is the most important area for the survival of this animal in the entire southern Caribbean. The turtle is also protected by Venezuelan and international laws due to its unique condition, but this does not seem to matter,” the foundation explained by telephone.
Among other alterations caused by the expansion of the airport runway, experts mentioned the change in current patterns, which in the future may affect fisheries in some areas of the country.
“When you have an area that is declared a national park it is so that a large part of its natural attributes are preserved with the least possible intervention, so that it is passed and preserved from generation to generation. However, we see that in Los Roques there is a greater interest in generating a highly exclusive space for a few, without measuring the consequences,” said one of the sources consulted, who clarified that most of the information they handle is from reports of the inhabitants of El Gran Roque.
A positive view
Some Pnalr innkeepers were consulted on this matter and they chose to remain silent. From anonymity, they only dared to affirm that they welcome the fact that the work to expand the landing strip is being carried out, as they believe that this will translate into a greater flow of visitors and therefore, will have a positive impact on the local economy.
It is worth remembering that this work is a promise that dates back to 2014, when the authority in the TIFM was Admiral Armando Laguna Laguna. At that time there was talk of “ambitious plans” that included the construction of a multimodal terminal “to receive arriving quality tourists.” All these works were projected for 2015, according to a press release published on the website of the Ministry of Communication and Information.
This is why the innkeepers assured that: “they had been waiting for years for the work to start,” as they are convinced that it will be part of the boost that Los Roques needs to once again have sizable tourism visitors.
However, experts believe that this way of thinking can be considered selfish, since the reality is that the Pnalr has been registering a very low influx of tourists for years, as a result of its high costs it is inaccessible to almost the entire Venezuelan population.
According to what is stated by the SVE, in the archipelago the highest record of visitors is from the year 1998, when there were 63,778 visitors. Between 2013 and 2015 the average was 45,000, while in 2017 the figure was around 29,400. They point out that unofficially a flow of approximately 20,000 tourists visited in 2018, so one might think that the figure has not exceeded that number in recent years, also one must consider that the Covid-19 pandemic was in the middle.
“If we look at the numbers, it is clear that the expansion of the runway is not synonymous with a greater number of people. The airlines that cover this route use planes with an estimated capacity of 20 people and on many occasions they are unable to book the entire flight. The fact that larger planes can land is no guarantee of anything,” a spokesperson said.
Hope
In October 2023, the Venezuelan Society of Ecology carried out a campaign to collect virtual signatures to speak out against the works and demand its stoppage.
A similar movement was carried out by the World Commission on Protected Areas (WCPA) of the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) with the hope that the country’s environmental authorities, as well as the Public Ministry (MP), would act paralyzing these works and forcing the damage caused to be reversed.
However, they are aware that this may be in vain due to the ways in which these issues are handled in the country.