Back to list

Venezuela

Venezuela signed the Convention on 3 December 1998, ratified it on 14 April 1999, with the Convention entering into force for Venezuela on 1 October 1999.

Obligations under the Convention

In its initial transparency report submitted on 31 August 2001, Zambia reported stockpiled anti-personnel mines under its ownership or possession or under its jurisdiction or control.

Notwithstanding the obligation to destroy all stockpiled anti-personnel mines, the Convention permits the retention of the minimum number of anti-personnel mines absolutely necessary for the development of and training in mine detection, mine clearance, or mine destruction techniques.

As of 2012, Venezuela had reported having retained 4,874 anti-personnel mines for these permitted purposes.

In its initial transparency report submitted on 31 August 2001, Venezuela reported stockpiled anti-personnel mines under its ownership or possession or under its jurisdiction or control.

In 2003, Venezuela reported that it had completed the destruction of all stockpiled anti-personnel mines.

In total, Venezuela reported having destroyed 47,189 mines.

In its initial transparency report, Venezuela reported areas under its jurisdiction or control in which anti-personnel mines are known or suspected to be emplaced.

In accordance with Article 5 of the Convention, Venezuela undertook to destroy or ensure the destruction of all anti-personnel mines in these areas as soon as possible but not later than 1 October 2009.

On 29 March 2008 Venezuela presented a request to extend its mine clearance dealine. The request was granted at the Eight Meeting of the States Parties in Jordan, and a new deadline set for 1 October 2014.

Extension Request Process

At the 2013 Meeting of the Standing Committee on Mine Clearance, Venezuela announced that it had completed mine clearance operations a year ahead of schedule.

Annually and no later than 30 April, each State Party is to update information covering the previous calendar year. The latest Article 7 reports for this State Party can be found on this page.

Each State Party is to take all appropriate legal, administrative and other measures, including the imposition of penal sanctions, to prevent and suppress any activity prohibited to a State Party under this Convention undertaken by persons or on territory under its jurisdiction or control.

Venezuela has reported having established national implementation measures or that it considers existing legislation to be sufficient. 

Venezuela free of the scourge of landmines

(2013) Venezuela formally declared having removed all minefields from its territory in compliance with its obligations under the Convention.

 It is my honour to formally announce that a team from the Venezuelan armed forces, which was led by the now retired Major General Gilberto Antonio Barrios Contreras, removed the last 658 anti-personnel mines of the 1,073 planted in our territory, in three coordinated and simultaneous demining operations between February and March this year,” said Brigadier General Jose Ramón Moreno of the Demining Unit of the National Armed Forces of the Bolivarian Republic of Venezuela, in the meeting in Geneva.

Read the full press release |  English | FrenchSpanish