Fwd: Trump wants to accelerate extraction in Venezuela. So do drug trafficking organizations

[Loretta Lohman]

 

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View this email in your browser On a June day in 2022, gunmen shot Virgilio Trujillo Arana in the head three times in the capital city of Venezuela’s Amazonas state. An Indigenous Uwottüja leader, Trujillo Arana had spent years defending the Amazon rainforest from destructive illegal mining. That work grew increasingly dangerous as illicit extraction boomed in Venezuela, with criminal groups targeting anyone perceived as an obstacle to profit. His killing was the 32nd documented murder of an Indigenous or environmental defender in Venezuela over an eight-year period ending in 2022.  The United States’ Jan. 3 attack on Caracas has shifted focus to Venezuela’s vast oil reserves, and who will control and benefit from the crude. Left out of these discussions are the ongoing environmental and human rights crises that have metastasized under Nicolás Maduro—and who will stop them. Tens of thousands of oil spills have contaminated waterways and drinking water, degraded ecosystems and displaced communities. Human rights organizations, United Nations experts and investigative journalists, meanwhile, have documented horrific abuses linked to illegal mining, a key source of income for the Maduro regime and criminal organizations, including the National Liberation Army (ELN) from Colombia.  Analysts and researchers say those organizations and government officials have worked together to control and profit from mining operations, often through violence, impunity and intimidation. More of our coverage of the biggest story on the planet: The Trump Administration on Tuesday proposed a new rule aimed at speeding up and streamlining the permitting process for large energy and infrastructure projects, including oil and gas pipelines and facilities tied to artificial intelligence. Lawyers for Chevron argued before the U.S. Supreme Court on Monday that a Louisiana climate case belongs in federal court. But the heavily Republican state responded that a $744.6 million jury award in state court should stand. After being forced to suspend work for the second time, an offshore wind project in New York will be allowed to continue construction while its case makes its way through the court. Trump Wants to Accelerate Extraction in Venezuela. So Do Drug Trafficking Organizations. BY KATIE SURMA Illegal mining has enriched the Maduro regime and criminal groups while devastating the Amazon and its people. The U.S. is pulling out of organizations aimed at stopping the harm. New Climate Reports Show ‘Unprecedented Run of Global Heat’ BY BOB BERWYN Data from multiple international agencies shows the reality of a rapidly warming world. As Artificial Stone Countertops Kill Workers, House Republicans Discuss Protections—for Manufacturers BY LIZA GROSS Sponsors of a new bill want to give the industry immunity from lawsuits brought by injured employees. That will kill even more workers, experts warn. The Army Corps of Engineers Wants to Dredge the Cape Fear River. Environmentalists Tally the Costs. BY LISA SORG On a ferry trip across the Cape Fear, they pass beaches and bird habitats that could be endangered by PFAS deposits. The Trump administration has already proposed rolling back PFAS limits for drinking water from the river. Clean Energy Advocates Criticize ‘Glaring’ Omission in White House Plan to Fuel Data Centers in PJM Region BY MARIANNE LAVELLE, KILEY BENSE Environmentalists warn that the proposal, signed by a bipartisan group of 13 governors, could increase reliance on fossil fuels and fail to bring consumer prices down. Hochul Wants More Nuclear Power in New York BY LAUREN DALBAN The governor’s State of the State address also focused on lowering utility rates. Discussion of the state’s Climate Act was notably absent. Ocean Damage Nearly Doubles the Cost of Climate Change BY JOHNNY STURGEON Ignoring the blue economy has left a multi-trillion-dollar blind spot in climate finance, according to a study from Scripps Oceanography. In Hurricane-Prone Florida, Legislators Reconsider New Growth and Development Law BY AMY GREEN Three bills have been introduced, as the annual legislative session begins this week, that would revise SB 180, last year’s controversial new law that blocked local resiliency efforts. Iran’s Regime Has Survived War, Sanctions and Uprising. Environmental Crises May Bring It Down. BY KATIE SURMA Decades of water depletion, dam building and repression of scientists and environmentalists have driven Iran toward ecological crises that are fueling protests rocking the country. Cleaner Water a Hope, Not a Given, for Iowa in 2026 BY ANIKA JANE BEAMER As the 2026 legislative session began in Des Moines, mixed signals suggest that the state’s approach to rampant water-quality issues may be more business as usual. One Family’s Battle With Trenton’s Lead Legacy BY ANNA MATTSON A routine medical checkup for a Trenton toddler uncovered dangerous lead levels. A mother struggled to navigate home inspections and health risks—and then made a hard choice. Coal Communities Accuse Congress of Breaking Its Promise to Clean Up Abandoned Mine Lands BY KILEY BENSE The House passed a bill last week that would “repurpose” $500 million meant for cleaning up environmental and safety hazards caused by decades of coal mining. 📈 Trending Wyoming County Approves Construction of What Could Become the Largest Data Center in US BY LEIGH REAGAN SMITH Project Jade could eventually use the same amount of electricity as produced by 10 nuclear power plants, boosting Wyoming’s energy industry while challenging efforts to limit emissions and stressing water supplies. 👀 Looking for More Climate News?  🟢 Visit our website for the latest.  🟡 Sign up for more newsletters, including our twice-weekly Today's Climate and Thursday's Inside Clean Energy. ⚫️ Follow us on Facebook, X, Instagram, LinkedIn and Bluesky. 🔴 Have a tip or story idea? Contact us. Copyright © 2025 Inside Climate News, All rights reserved. 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