Which Venezuelan states and geological formations (e.g., Portuguesa, Bolívar, coastal ranges) contain critical mineral deposits?
Executive summary
Venezuela’s richest documented deposits of critical minerals are concentrated in the ancient Guayana Shield in the south — notably Bolívar and Amazonas states — where rare earth elements, coltan (tantalum-bearing ores), cassiterite (tin), gold, iron and bauxite have been reported and sampled by journalists and geologists [1] [2] [3]. Other parts of the country host distinctive mineral occurrences — for example coal in Zulia and historic uranium/thorium reports in Táchira and eastern Venezuela — but publicly available reporting and geological surveys point most clearly to the Guayana Shield/Imataca–Orinoco corridor as the critical-minerals heartland [4] [5] [3].
1. The Guayana Shield: the geological backbone of Bolívar and Amazonas with rare earths and coltan
The Guayana Shield — a 1.7‑billion‑year‑old craton forming southern Venezuela’s bedrock — is repeatedly identified in recent reporting as the principal host of rare earth element (REE) enrichment, coltan (tantalum‑bearing ore) and cassiterite, with specific sites and sample tests concentrated in Bolívar and Amazonas states [1] [2] [6]. Historical geological work and U.S. government mappings of the Guayana Shield note carbonatite and other REE‑bearing lithologies such as Cerro Impacto in Bolívar state, while contemporary investigations and lab tests cited by The Guardian and InfoAmazonia confirm high concentrations of coltan, cassiterite and rare earths in jungle deposits along the Colombian–Venezuelan border [7] [2] [1].
2. Imataca formation, Orinoco Mining Arc and the northern Guayana: iron, bauxite, gold, and critical zones
The Imataca formation at the northern edge of the Amazon Craton and the area designated by Venezuela as the Orinoco Mining Arc (Arco Minero) are described as hosting world‑class iron‑ore, bauxite and significant gold reserves, and they overlap northern Bolívar and adjacent sectors of Amazonas — making this geological corridor strategically important for both industrial metals and potential critical‑mineral targets [3] [1]. Reports cite long‑recognized iron deposits (including Cerro Bolívar), bauxite occurrences and government estimates that frame rare earths and other strategic minerals within the Arco Minero narrative, though development has been hindered by political and security factors [5] [1].
3. Illegal extraction and armed control in Bolívar and Amazonas: supply‑chain reality, not just geology
Field reporting emphasizes that the practical picture of Venezuelan critical minerals in the south is dominated by irregular artisanal extraction and control by armed groups and cross‑border networks; lab results tie minerals from Bolívar/Amazonas mines to exporters in Caribbean ports, showing that geologic endowment is now mediated by violence, smuggling and opaque buyers rather than formal state‑led mining development [2] [8] [6]. Multiple investigations document seizures of community mines, the arrival of armed groups (e.g., ELN) and the presence of foreign buyers at sites in Bolívar, undercutting assumptions that deposits alone translate rapidly into formal, traceable supply chains [2] [9].
4. Western and border states: coal in Zulia, historic uranium/thorium notes in Táchira and east
Outside the Guayana Shield, established deposits of other strategic minerals are reported: major coalfields in western Zulia are long‑documented, and mid‑20th‑century surveys and reporting noted uranium in Táchira and thorium occurrences in eastern Venezuela — facts that spotlight additional geographically distinct mineral provinces though not necessarily REE‑rich zones in the same class as the Guayana Shield [4] [5]. Public sources and country overviews also list extensive goldfields scattered in southeastern states and resource diversity that includes iron, nickel and bauxite in multiple regions [10] [4].
5. What is not well supported in public reporting: Portuguesa, coastal ranges, and gaps in mapping
Available reporting and the cited geological literature do not provide clear, corroborated claims that Portuguesa or Venezuela’s coastal ranges are major repositories of the REE‑type critical minerals highlighted in recent investigations; those regions are not prominent in the sampled lab‑test narratives or Guayana‑focused geological surveys, and this absence should be read as a limitation of the public record rather than definitive proof of absence [2] [1] [7]. Official Venezuelan estimates and political statements inflate potential reserve figures, but independent sampling and chain‑of‑custody concerns remain central caveats in assessing which formations and states will actually supply globally significant quantities [1] [11].