They assassinate an indigenous leader who denounced the blood gold of Chavismo and its alliance with Colombian guerrillas

A hitman kills Virgilio Trujillo Arana with two bullets, at the head of the territorial guardians of the Sipapo River, in the Venezuelan Amazon

“We are territories of life, without territories we disappear. We defend our territories, those that our ancestors left us. And that is how we will continue, no matter what happens. The territory is our life for future generations“. A hitman and two bullets will prevent the indigenous leader from Virgilio Trujillo Aranaat the head of the territorial guardians of the Sipapo River, in the Venezuelan Amazon, can continue his mission, whose legacy has been recorded in a video.

His murder has ended one of the strongest voices that had been raised against the illegal blood gold mining and the complicity between the Chavista regime and the Colombian guerrillas of the National Liberation Army (ELN) and the FARC dissidents. All of this in a lawless territory, comprised of the Venezuelan states of Amazonas and Bolvar, theater of operations for the military, guerrillas, mafia gangs known as “unions” and Brazilian garimpeiros. Even Bolivarian leaders have their own minesguarded by Venezuelan soldiers or Colombian elenos.

In Autana, the territory that Trujillo and his relatives protected, the famous Operation Bolivarian Shield 2022, one of the largest deployments of the revolutionary army in two decades of chavismo. The clashes in different border areas with Colombia have revealed the alliance between Nicolás Maduro, the ELN and the Second Marquetalia of the FARC, against the dissidents of the 30th Front. The Government of Caracas has covered up such collusion with the excuse of its alleged fight with the non-existent Tancol (Colombian Armed Drug Traffickers).

“Those responsible for the crime must be brought to justice. International justice must investigate the participation of the regime in the exploitation of illegal mining in Venezuela”reacted Luis Almagro, Secretary General of the Organization of American States (OAS).

“Venezuela is in mourning for the murder of Virgilio Trujillo in Puerto Ayacucho. They killed him for opposing the looting of blood gold and the crime in the Orinoco Mining Arc,” denounced opposition deputy Delsa Solrzano.

Trujillo, 38, was part of the United Piaroas Indigenous Organization of Sipapo (oops). From his collective, he led the fight in his ancestral territories against illegal mining extraction, whose sale to Turkey, Russia and various Arab and African countries has become one of the main ways to avoid US sanctions.

The Observatory for the Defense of Life (Odevida) has not only registered the murder of 32 indigenous and environmental leaders between 2013 and 2021also who were the perpetrators: in 21 cases they were hit men linked to the miners and in 11 they were Chavista soldiers from the Bolivarian National Armed Forces (FANB).