(MIDDLETOWN, CT) Venezuela’s Orinoco River Basin is a wild land of lush forests, grasslands and a vast delta of jungle wetlands teeming with wildlife. The region encompasses about 12% of Venezuela, including national monuments, national parks and Indigenous communities. In 1976, with the country’s economy heavily dependent on oil, Venezuela nationalized the oil industry. Foreign industries could partner with the state oil company, but only if the government held the controlling share of the joint ventures. Scenes like this are what environmental and Indigenous groups fear if oil drilling expands in the Orinoco Oil Belt.

Source: Daily Sun March 06, 2026 21:15 UTC