Nicaragua is the Central American country that has the largest number of mining concessions in indigenous and Afro-descendant territoriesreveals the monitoring bulletin “Nicaragua and its perverse gold”, carried out by the River Foundation. According to the report, up to 2021, 141 concessions have been quantified in these territories.
“The State has declared mining reserve areas, without even consulting them, and instead of guaranteeing its territorial rights, it becomes a partner of transnationals that settle to loot and dispossess the most impoverished communities”, the report states.
According to the River Foundation, there are five mining concessions that directly affect the territory of the Chorotega peoplesone to the Matagalpas, six to the Mayangnas, seven to the Miskito and two to the multi-ethnic Mayagna and Miskito territories.
“We have quantified 141 mining concessions within indigenous and Afro-descendant territories, 69 concessions granted and 72 requested; in addition to 42 lots that have been declared mining reserve areas. Namely, a total of 183 lots of concessions and mining reserve areas are located in indigenous territories”, they explain.
The Fundación del Río report is based on the analysis of a database built with official data from the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) and the mining rights mapyes It also includes independent information compiled by organizations and institutions that have investigated the mining sector in Nicaragua.
“19 companies have been identified with mining concessions (granted and requested) within indigenous territories and Afro-descendants, but it is in five of them, they concentrate the largest number of concessions (65%)”, they point out.
The main companies that dominate these territories are Caliber Mining Nicaragua SA, HEMCO Nicaragua SA and CXB Nicaragua SA, which sold part of its mining rights to Caliber Mining Corp. Meanwhile, the 42 mining reserve areas are controlled by the Nicaraguan Mining Company (Eniminas) and the MEM.
“The organization calls on peasant, indigenous and Afro-descendant communities to resist the onslaught of the looting and dispossession model imposed by the Ortega-Murillo regime, in partnership with the mining companies; and requests the support of the international community, environmental organizations and Nicaraguan society to accompany and support the complaint against metal mining,” according to the document.
Mining concessions increased with Ortega
The River Foundation’s analysis also reveals that The number of hectares ceded to mining has increased up to six times with the Government of Daniel Ortega than with the previous three. The latter accumulated a total of 139,852 hectares granted to mining and in the 16 years of Ortega’s mandate they have handed over 782,628 hectares, which represent 6.5% of the national territory.
Total, identified 54 companies that control mining concessionsbut there are five —mostly foreigners— that manage 60% of the assigned hectares.
“We have identified that companies of Canadian origin are the ones with the largest number of concessions and together they cover 35% of the concession area, a single Colombian company has 21% of the concession area, Nicaraguan companies have 11% and companies from the United Kingdom have 10%”, they detail.
Mining impacts Bosawás reserve
The foundation also notes that 66% of the Bosawás Biosphere Reserve was granted to industrial and artisanal gold mining. “The total area of the 98 mining lots represents 1.3 million hectares, that is, 66% of the entire reserve. The companies that benefit most from these concessions are Caliber Mining Corp through its subsidiary Caliber Mining Nicaragua SA and other companies that have sold them their concession rights.”
Bosawás was declared by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve in 1997 and, therefore, the mining companies would be breaching the environmental legal framework when carrying out mining exploration and exploitation activities, they point out.
“According to the analysis of the map of concessions within the reserve, 79 concessions correspond to mining companiesof which 60 have been granted and 19 are in application, also 19 are considered as mining reserve areas administered discretionally by the MEM and ENIMINAS”, cites the report.
