Venezuela’s Lake Maracaibo, once a symbol of its oil boom, now showcases the effects of industrial neglect and environmental damage. Spanning tens of thousands of square kilometers, Lake Maracaibo is among the world’s oldest and largest lakes. Historically, it was a vital resource for the Venezuelan oil industry, with its bed crisscrossed by an intricate network of pipes. But decades of excessive oil exploitation, coupled with outdated infrastructure and a lack of waste treatment facilities, have turned this natural wonder into an ecological nightmare. The lake’s degradation began in earnest in the 1930s when a canal was carved at its … Continue reading Lake Maracaibo: From Oil Boom to Ecological Doom!