The air, water, flora and fauna on the peninsula of Paraguaná, in northwestern Venezuela, will be affected by the smoke produced by more than 200,000 barrels of fuel that burned for three days after a gas explosion at the Amuay refinery, one of the largest on the planet. The explosion left at least 40 dead and 150 wounded, and caused serious damage to around 500 homes and a small military barracks in a one- kilometer radius, as well as losses that could total over 1.5 billion dollars, in addition to shutting down the refinery for days.

The black clouds left by the flames – seen in satellite photographs like a column plunging into the Caribbean – “contain particles of naphtha that measure less than 2.5 microns and are toxic, although they do not produce greenhouse gases,” climate change consultant Juan Carlos Sánchez told Tierramérica.