The Bishop of the Diocese of San Juan, Monsignor Tomas Alejo Concepcionyesterday favored the carrying out of an environmental and social impact study, which determines the feasibility of exploiting the gold mine located in El Romero, in that province.
However, 19 priests from both San Juan, Azua and Elías Piña expressed total opposition, after warning President Luis Abinader about “the dire consequences for the health and life of that area of the country.”
Position Bishop Concepción
The bishop Alejo Concepcion He said that the most sensible thing to do is to carry out a study that determines if the mine should be exploited or not, if it benefits or harms.
He also proposed holding an open dialogue where all sectors come together and discuss the issue with the rigor it deserves, because he is sure that if the study reveals that the mine is not feasible, due to the damage that the extraction of that gold would cause, he believes that all sectors He will show his opposition resolutely, starting with President Abinader.
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Concepción affirmed that the world and science have advanced enough to be able to determine the feasibility of these initiatives.
“The logic that dictates is that, if scientific studies say that it cannot be done, then it cannot be done, even if the government says, even if whoever says so. It is not about so-and-so saying yes and so-and-so saying no, because then it becomes a tyranny of groups of gangs, one that defends and one that attacks,” said the bishop, after participating in a meeting between priests and members of the civil society of San Juan.
opposing priests
However, 19 priests from Azua, San Juan and Elías Piña They expressed their rejection and opposition to the Government authorizing the exploitation of the El Romero mine, by the Canadian company Goldquest, because they understand that it harms health and life in that part of the country.
“We make a timely call to President Abinader, to refrain from granting the Romero mining permit, whose interest is in the gold-hungry bowels of the GoldQuest mining company, at the cost of the life and health of a region”, warn the Catholic priests, a document that was read during the meeting.
The Catholic leaders pointed out that the Constitution orders public powers to protect the upper basins of tributaries and biodiversity and that it would be contrary to the Magna Carta to allow mining exploitation right in the San Juan river basin.
The ministers assured that San Juan renounces being a mining municipality and wants to continue as the Granero del Sur, “with its fertile black lands, bathed and irrigated by water from the José Joaquín Puello, Hato del Padre-Santomé and San Juan canals.” .
