Venezuelan Minister of Foreign Affairs Miguel Angel
Burelli Rivas signed the Mine Ban Treaty on 3 December 1997. Venezuela has not
yet ratified the treaty.
Venezuela participated in all of the ban treaty preparatory meetings,
endorsed the pro-treaty Brussels Declaration, and took part in the Oslo
negotiations. Venezuela also voted in favor of the pro-ban UN General Assembly
resolutions in 1996, 1997 and 1998, as well as the pro-ban resolutions of the
Organization of American States (OAS).
During the Oslo treaty negotiations, Venezuela caused some concern among ban
campaigners by supporting several proposals that would have weakened the treaty
greatly, including a clause to permit withdrawal from the treaty in times of
war, and an exception for continued use of AP mines in Korea.
Venezuela is not a party to the Convention on Conventional Weapons. Venezuela
is a member of the Conference on Disarmament and has supported efforts to
address the problem of antipersonnel mines in that forum. It was one of
twenty-two CD members that in February 1999 jointly called for the appointment
of a Special Coordinator on AP mines, and the establishment of an Ad Hoc
Committee to negotiate an export
ban.[1]
Venezuela is not believed to be mine-affected. Although there have been some
allegations that Venezuela has produced antipersonnel landmines, the government
has denied ever producing.[2]
Venezuela is not thought to have ever exported mines. Venezuela is believed to
have a stockpile of AP mines, but the size, composition, and suppliers of the
mines are unknown. Venezuela is not known to have used AP mines.
Venezuela has contributed demining experts to assist with mine clearance
efforts in Central America.
[1] Statement by Bulgarian
Ambassador Petko Draganov to the Conference on Disarmament, undated but February
1999.
[2] The 1993 U.S. Army
Countermine Systems Directorate, Worldwide Informational Mine Guide,
lists an M6 blast antipersonnel mine produced by Venezuela.
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