
The Venezuelan environment ministry has started cleaning up of the Western Falcon state after an oil slick washed up over the state’s coast.
Western Falcon state is a popular tourism destination because of its exortic beaches and resorts.
It was speculated earlier that the slick likely resulted from a spill of the contents of a vessel’s fuel tank.
“We have acted immediately in the face of this contingency, because to protect nature is to defend the fatherland.”
Venezuela Environment Ministry
The ministry added that it had set up barriers to contain the oil but did not provide an estimate of how much oil had spilled.
A joint effort of the oil ministry, PDVSA, the local Falcon state government, national park officials, and the Sebin intelligence service are working to speedily clean-up the coastal areas.