Venezuela becomes first nation in Americas to lose all glaciers

Venezuela, once home to six glaciers, now has none after the last remaining one was recently classified as being too small to qualify

Report informs via Axios that thawing has been worsening for the last decade in the Andes, which stretch across Colombia, Venezuela, Bolivia, Ecuador, Peru, Chile and Argentina.

That carries devastating consequences for communities that live on their slopes and depend on them for water and for energy and food production, as well as for unique ecosystems like the páramo (high-altitude moorlands).

Five of Venezuela's glaciers had largely melted away by 2011, as the loss of ice sheets formed in winter became so large during the other seasons until practically no more ice formed at all.

Now the Humboldt glacier, also called La Corona (the crown), which is on the highest peak of Venezuela's Mérida cordillera, has joined them.

Recent satellite images show only 2 hectares of ice (slightly less than 5 acres) left. La Corona used to be about 450 hectares (more than 1,100 acres) wide.