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Venezuela finds bodies of gold miners 'killed by gang' | Venezuela finds bodies of gold miners 'killed by gang' |
(about 4 hours later) | |
Venezuela's Attorney General says search teams have retrieved the remains of 14 missing gold miners, after reports that 28 had been killed. | |
Forensic experts and search teams are continuing to look for more bodies at the site, Luisa Ortega Diaz added. | |
Relatives said the men were killed by a gang on 4 March after finding significant amounts of gold in an illegally-operated mine. | Relatives said the men were killed by a gang on 4 March after finding significant amounts of gold in an illegally-operated mine. |
The bodies were dismembered and buried locally, witnesses claimed. | |
"We inform the country that we have located the remains of the people who went missing in Tumeremo," tweeted Ms Ortega. | "We inform the country that we have located the remains of the people who went missing in Tumeremo," tweeted Ms Ortega. |
An arrest warrant has been issued for the leader of the gang accused of the killings - Jamilton Andres Ulloa Suarez, known as The Mole. | An arrest warrant has been issued for the leader of the gang accused of the killings - Jamilton Andres Ulloa Suarez, known as The Mole. |
The bodies were located "in Nuevo Callao, deep into the [Amazon] jungle," added Ms Ortega. | The bodies were located "in Nuevo Callao, deep into the [Amazon] jungle," added Ms Ortega. |
The authorities believe 21 people, not 28, were killed. Relatives have rejected such claims and accuse the government of trying to cover up the massacre. | The authorities believe 21 people, not 28, were killed. Relatives have rejected such claims and accuse the government of trying to cover up the massacre. |
Bolivar state governor Francisco Rangel, from the governing PSUV party, had initially dismissed reports that the men had gone missing. | Bolivar state governor Francisco Rangel, from the governing PSUV party, had initially dismissed reports that the men had gone missing. |
He accused opposition politicians of stirring up trouble. | He accused opposition politicians of stirring up trouble. |
But within a couple of days Venezuelan air force troops were deployed in the remote jungle area, near the border with Guyana, to find out what had happened. | But within a couple of days Venezuelan air force troops were deployed in the remote jungle area, near the border with Guyana, to find out what had happened. |
"We won't rest until we find those responsible for these acts, which in the eyes of all Venezuelans are abominable," said Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez last week. | "We won't rest until we find those responsible for these acts, which in the eyes of all Venezuelans are abominable," said Venezuela's Defence Minister Vladimir Padrino Lopez last week. |
He said at the time that they had probably been killed by gangs fighting over control of illegal mining in south-eastern Venezuela. | He said at the time that they had probably been killed by gangs fighting over control of illegal mining in south-eastern Venezuela. |
'Fight over gold' | 'Fight over gold' |
The missing miners worked at the Atenas gold mine. | The missing miners worked at the Atenas gold mine. |
Reports of their disappearance first emerged on 6 March when worried relatives reported that their loved ones had not returned from work. | |
The families blocked a road in Tumeremo linking the region to the Brazilian border to demand an investigation. | The families blocked a road in Tumeremo linking the region to the Brazilian border to demand an investigation. |
Local media quoted eyewitnesses who said the discovery of a significant gold deposit had pitched the miners against members of a gang who wanted to lay their hands on the lucrative find. | Local media quoted eyewitnesses who said the discovery of a significant gold deposit had pitched the miners against members of a gang who wanted to lay their hands on the lucrative find. |
The gang members allegedly opened fire on the miners and later forced the survivors to load the bodies on to a lorry. | |