On the Gazette of this Wednesday, August 31, the reform to Law 387, the Special Law on Exploration and Exploitation of Mines, with which the administration of Daniel Ortega replaces the participation of the Nicaraguan Mining Company (Enimines) in the activities of the mining sector, after being sanctioned by the United States in June; and grants the “absolute power” of this sector to the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM).
The Ortega-Murillo regime with this modification to the Mining Law allows the MEM to control the exports of precious metals dealers and pawnbrokers and/or loans.
Likewise, “it will allow a regulation of artisanal and small-scale mining, in order to guarantee better control of this natural resource and greater protection for workers in the mines,” say the deputies of the National Assembly.
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“The additions to the Law include that the Ministry of Energy and Mines will coordinate and supervise, by prior agreement between concessionaires or duly registered benefit facilities, the delivery of mining resources from small-scale mining and artisanal mining that are authorized by the MEM” , they underline.
Before the approval of this reform, the director of Fundación del Río, Amaru Ruiz, pointed out that the dictatorship with these modifications and additions to the Law seeks to “endorse” artisanal mining and “monopolize” the extraction of precious metals.
“The Ortega and Murillo regime approves a reform of the Mining Law, to circumvent the sanctions against Eniminas, to endorse artisanal mining that has a high environmental/social impact and to monopolize the looting of these resources,” he wrote on his Twitter account. .
The amendment to the Special Law on Exploration and Exploitation of Mines modified articles 2 and 76 bis, and makes additions to article 39, article 77 and article 84 bis of Law 387.
Ortega’s urgency to approve this reform arises shortly after the Police seized the 38 branches of the Casa de Empeños Prisa, and its officials accused the president of the company’s board of directors, Mario Hurtado Jiménez, of money laundering and other crimes. .
