Venezuela’s fragile environment faces rising risks as US pushes for oil and critical minerals and illegal gold mining spreads

The Orinoco Basin is one of the most biodiverse places on the planet. It’s also rich in oil, gold and critical minerals crucial to modern technology.

By: Antonio Machado Allison, Wesleyan University, The Conversation

Outlets: The Conversation

Published: March 6, 2026

Words: 1,178

Last Updated: 3 days, 20 hours ago

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By Antonio Machado Allison, Wesleyan University

Venezuela’s Orinoco River Basin is a wild land of lush forests, grasslands and a vast delta of jungle wetlands teeming with wildlife. River dolphins and endangered Orinoco crocodiles ply its waterways, and over 1,000 freshwater fish and bird species can be found there.

During the rainy season, the Orinoco is the world’s third-largest river by discharge. But this region – which Venezuelans rely on for water and hydropower …

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