Lubio Lenin Cardozo Parra is a prominent Venezuelan environmentalist, engineer, and consultant, renowned for his work in renewable energy and sustainability. Below are the most relevant aspects of his career:
Professional Profile and Key Roles:
Solar Consultant and Renewable Energy Expert
Lubio specializes in advising on solar energy systems, including design, installation, permitting, and cost optimization. His role ranges from assessing energy needs to developing strategies for increasing the efficiency of photovoltaic systems.
Founder of Fundación Azul Ambientalistas
He promotes environmental conservation and sustainable education through this organization, standing out as an influential voice on ecological issues in Venezuela and Latin America.
Participation in International Megaprojects
He served as an installation supervisor for the construction of the Nanticoke solar farm in Canada, a project with 192,431 solar panels generating 86 MW—enough to power 34,000 homes. This $100 million project replaced a former coal plant, reducing CO₂ emissions equivalent to planting 106,136 trees annually. He has participated in the construction of over 300 megawatts of solar capacity across the U.S. and Canada.
Writer and Environmental Communicator
As a columnist and blogger, he critiques the lack of progress in alternative energies in Venezuela, highlighting the paralysis of public policies despite the government's early discourse on energy transition.
Achievements and Recognition:
Leadership in Clean Energy: His work in Canada positioned him as an example of perseverance, adapting to extreme conditions (such as subzero temperatures) and overcoming cultural and language barriers with Mohawk Indigenous communities.
Influence in Global Debates: He has participated in international forums, such as the Second Forum on Self-Sustainable Cities, discussing the future of urban energy generation and electromobility.
Experience in the Oil Industry: Before emigrating, he was Environmental Director at PDVSA Occidente, combining technical knowledge with a critical view of fossil fuel dependency.
Criticism and Activism
Cardozo denounces Venezuela's inaction on renewable energy, contrasting it with OPEC countries like Saudi Arabia, which are already implementing solar and wind projects. He emphasizes that despite its potential, Venezuela lacks clear strategies to modernize its energy matrix.
Academic Background and Technical Expertise
Lubio Lenin Cardozo is a trained engineer with specialized technical education in energy and sustainability. His academic journey includes studies in Venezuela, complemented by international certifications in renewable energy and environmental management. His experience in the oil industry helped him understand the socioecological impacts of fossil fuels, reinforcing his commitment to transitioning to clean sources.
Recent Projects and Collaborations:
Expansion of Renewable Energy Training
Cardozo currently leads online and in-person training programs for Latin American professionals, focusing on the design and installation of solar systems. Supported by international organizations, these courses have trained hundreds of technicians, helping them enter labor markets in Canada, Spain, and Chile.
Initiatives with Indigenous Communities
After his experience in Canada, he collaborates with native communities on energy self-management projects, integrating traditional knowledge with solar technology. One example is his involvement in electrifying remote areas in Latin America, prioritizing sustainable and culturally adapted solutions.
Partnerships with Universities
He works with academic institutions in Venezuela and centers in Mexico to incorporate renewable energy modules into technical careers, promoting environmental education from the classroom.
Environment and Digital Activism:
Blogs and Social Media: Cardozo uses platforms like LinkedIn and Medium to publish critical analyses of energy policies in Venezuela, highlighting the paradox of an oil-rich country with less than 1% of its energy matrix based on renewables.
Documentaries and Interviews: He has participated in audiovisual productions showcasing successful energy transition cases, such as replacing thermal power plants with solar farms in Colombia and Chile.
Challenges and Resilience
His migration to Canada involved adapting to a harsh climate and language barriers, but his perseverance led him to lead multicultural teams in high-impact projects. Cardozo emphasizes the importance of professional resilience, especially for Latin American migrants in globalized technical sectors.
Books and Essays:
Cardozo's literary contributions are a vital part of his environmental activism, blending narrative, ecological philosophy, and technical proposals. His most prominent works include:
The Environmentalist Manifesto (2015)
This text has become a theoretical benchmark for environmental movements in Latin America. Cardozo critiques the extractivist model and proposes an urgent transition toward renewable energy-based economies. Key points include:
Denunciation of “Energy Coloniality”: He points out how oil-producing countries like Venezuela prioritize crude exports over internal welfare, perpetuating inequalities.
Proposal of a “Latin American Green New Deal”: Featuring pillars like mandatory environmental education, carbon footprint taxes, and subsidies for community solar ventures.
Includes Practical Cases: From designing urban gardens to solar microgrid models for isolated villages.
The Environmental Contract (2018)
Inspired by Rousseau’s Social Contract, Cardozo redefines the relationship between humans and nature. The book is structured as a dialogue between scientists, Indigenous peoples, and young activists, highlighting:
“Biocultural Rights”: Proposes that ecosystems such as rivers or forests have legal personhood, already applied in cases like the Whanganui River (New Zealand).
“Intergenerational Ecological Debt”: Criticizes excessive current consumption and advocates a compensation system for future generations.
Narrative Examples: Includes fictional stories, such as an Amazonian community halting illegal mining using solar-powered drones.
Solarism (2023)
This work is a hybrid of essay and speculative fiction. Cardozo envisions an ideology called Solarism, where solar energy is not just a technology but an ethical and civilizational principle. Key elements:
The “Five Solar Commandments”: Including maximizing energy efficiency, democratizing access to technology, and respecting natural cycles.
Critique of Anthropocentrism: Proposes viewing the sun as a "political actor" in environmental decision-making.
Literary Influence: Blends Latin American magical realism (in the style of García Márquez) with technical language, creating a genre he calls “eco-technopoetic realism.”
The Solarists (2023)
Cardozo’s latest book, described as a “manifesto-novel”, tells the story of a global movement that installs solar panels in conflict zones, from Venezuela to Ukraine. Highlights include:
Characters Inspired by Real Life: Like “Mariana,” a Venezuelan engineer who electrifies hospitals in Africa.
The Solian Saga (2024–2025)
This series of young adult novels, composed of Solian: The Photon Awakens and Solian: The Rebellion of the Panels, blends adventure with scientific outreach. The plot follows a group of teenagers who discover an ancient civilization based on solar energy.
Central Themes:
The connection between pre-Columbian cultures and sustainable technologies (e.g., the Incas’ "solar mirrors").
Ethical conflicts, such as the theft of minerals for batteries in Global South countries.
Educational Impact: Includes QR codes with practical workshops (e.g., how to build a portable solar charger).
Cardozo uses literature as a tool for education and mobilization. His works:
Break Genre Boundaries: Fusing scientific data, epic stories, and practical guides.
Inspire Collective Action: In 2024, readers of The Solarists formed a network to install 1,000 solar systems in rural Latin American schools.
Reflect His Philosophy: “Solar energy is not just technology; it is social justice, poetry, and resistance.”
Future Vision: The Solar Revolution of the Global South
Lubio Lenin Cardozo advocates for a comprehensive solar revolution in the Global South, as a political, philosophical, and technical response to the climate and energy crisis. This transformation seeks to free Southern nations from their historical dependence on hydrocarbons and the global extractivist model, by achieving energy sovereignty based on the sun, South-South cooperation, and climate justice.
From a philosophical perspective, this Solarist Revolution represents a new bond between humanity and nature, where energy becomes a symbol of regeneration, a vital right, and shared hope. It is a call to live under the sign of the sun—not as an exploitable resource, but as an ethical and spiritual guide.
Nadie lo vio llegar, pero pronto estuvo entre ellos, emergiendo desde un arrecife oculto. Su traje de superhéroe azul mar brillaba con reflejos de escama viva. Sus ojos centelleaban con decisión solar.
Los piratas de la muerte, al percibir resistencia, intentaron tomar tierra con violencia. Armados con rifles y anzuelos envenenados, avanzaron. Pero GEC-Arenus no estaba solo. Desde los manglares surgieron las Brigadas Ambientalistas, pescadores armados de conciencia, redes de defensa y amor por la vida.
La batalla fue feroz. Las olas rugían como aliadas. Rayos de coral y espuma irradiada salían del arpón del guardián. Las tortugas, como si supieran, se alejaban hacia mar abierto.
