Draft:2023 El Palito oil spill
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|  |
| El Palito oil spill | |
|---|---|
 El Palito refinery, where the spill occurred | |
| Location | El Palito refinery,  Carabobo Carabobo state,  Venezuela |
| Date | December 2023 |
| Cause | |
| Operator | Petróleos de Venezuela |
| Spill characteristics | |
An oil spill occurred December 2023 at the El Palito refinery in Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.
Background
[edit]In Venezuela, Peurto Cabello, El Palito Refinery is the oldest and smallest refining complexes, operated by Petroleos de Venezuela (PDVSA). The Refinery has a production capacity of 146,000 barrels per day (bpd)[1]. In recent years, multiple oil spills have been linked to the facility, including incidents from 2020, 2021[2], 2023 and 2024[3]. These spills are predominantly due to poor infrastructure and inconsistent maintenance, raising concerns about pollution and ecological damage.
Spill
[edit]The oil spill occurred at the end of December 2023[4] on the coast of the Carabobo state, affecting the beach of Puerto Cabello.[5] Days later, the National Union of Press Workers (SNTP) denounced that officials of the General Directorate of Military Counterintelligence (DGCIM) had prohibited the reporting of the incident.[6][7]
Government and Industry Response
[edit]PDVSA released a statement in 2016 that it would stop publicly reporting oil spills[8], despite pressure from NGOs and local communities. PDVSA attributed the spill to an overflow of rainfall into the lagoons, which led to a discharge of hydrocarbons and wastewater into the coastal marine environments.
Environmental and Social Impact
[edit]The impact of the spill contaminated many coastal areas, including Puerto Cabello and Morrocoy National Park, a protected region known for its beaches, mangroves and marine biodiversity. Pollution from the spill led to a temporary halt in fishing, leaving small-scale fishermen without income and disrupting tourism, an essential component for this region. Local NGOs, including Ambientalistas[9], the Caribe Sur Foundation[10], and the National Organization for Rescue and Maritime Safety of Venezuela’s Aquatic Spaces (ONSA)[11], reported extensive damage to marine ecosystems. Journalists covering the spill, including Ruth Lara Castillo and Maria Torres, were prohibited from reporting[12] and forced by authorities and PDVSA to delete materials. This suppression of environmental reporting leads to marginalized coastal communities suffering the most significant consequences.
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ "Venezuela's PDVSA Resumes Operations at El Palito Refinery Unit, Sources Say". Reuters.
- ^ Gonzalez, Kevin Arteaga (February 9, 2021). "Nuevo derrame de El Palito podría afectar Boca de Aroa a días de Carnaval". EL Carabobeno.
- ^ "Oil Spill reported off Venezuela's Caribbean Coast". Reuters. August 17, 2024.
- ^ "Venezuela oil giant says 80 percent of oil spill cleaned up". phys.org. 2023-12-29. Retrieved 2024-08-02.
- ^ Lozano, Daniel (2023-12-27). "El chavismo silencia un derrame petrolero en una de sus mayores refinerías". El Mundo (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ Lapatilla (2023-12-28). "El Mundo: El chavismo silencia un derrame petrolero en una de sus mayores refinerías". LaPatilla.com (in European Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ Torres, Eudo (2023-12-28). "Dgcim obligó a periodistas borrar imágenes del derrame petrolero en Carabobo". Radio Fe y Alegría Noticias (in Spanish). Retrieved 2023-12-28.
- ^ Berg, Ryan C. (October 12, 2021). "The Role of the Oil Sector in Venezuela's Environmental Degradation and Economic Rebuilding".
- ^ "Welcome to the Azul Environmentalists Foundation Page". Fucadion Azul Ambientalistas. February 12, 2025.
- ^ "Fundacion Caribe Sur". Fundacion Caribe Sur. November 7, 2024.
- ^ "BBS ONSA Venezuela". ONSA Venezuela. February 12, 2025.
- ^ "Venezuela: Journalists Forced to Erase Coverage of El Palito Refinery Oil Spill". Women Press Freedom. December 27, 2023.