The Guatemalan Nickel Company announced that it will go to the Inter-American Court of Human Rights to request precautionary measures in response to the local authorities' decision to suspend operations at the Fénix mine in Izabal.
The temporary suspension of the exploitation right license of the Fénix mining company, operated by Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, in the department of Izabal, is reported.
After a group of neighbors claimed before the Supreme Court of Justice that for the mining project concerned, the community consultation process was not exhausted, in February of this year an injunction was granted in favor of the plaintiffs, but the company's operations were not suspended.
The Mining Exploitation Project Niquegua Montufar II, run by Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, and the one called Tajmulco II, by Montana Exploradora de Guatemala, have been suspended by the government.
A statement issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mines indicates that "...Adhering to the appeal granted by the First Chamber of the Court of Appeals of the Civil and Commercial Branch constituted in the Court of Appeal, the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM), notified Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel (CGN), of the suspension of its authorization license for operating the mining exploitation project Niquegua Montufar II. "
Businessmen are complaining that there are over one hundred applications for licenses which have been approved by the Attorney but are pending review and approval by the Ministry of Energy and Mines.
Mining companies in Guatemala say that one of the reasons for the delays in the process for obtaining mining exploration licenses is because the government does not support this sector of the economy.
The company Guatemalteca de Níquel has requested a piece of land in Santo Tomas de Castilla for a coal plant from which would produce nickel be exported.
This was confirmed by Guatemalan President Otto Perez Molina, who said the company's request is for the machinery to be used in the exploitation of the mineral.
He added that at the moment they are reviewing the requirements demanded by the Port Act because "you can not have a usufruct as allowed by Act of Puerto Quetzal".
Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, S.A. and Minera San Rafael S.A have been granted permission to undertake controlled mining activities in two sectors of the country.
From a press release issued by the Ministry of Energy and Mines of Guatemala (MEM):
This morning (yesterday) authorities at the Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) reported the granting of two mining licenses, identified as SEXT-015-11 "ESCOBAL" to company "MINERA SAN RAFAEL, SA" and SEXT-019-11 "Proyecto de Explotación Minero Niquegua MONTÚFAR II" for company "Compañía Guatemalteca de Níquel, S.A.".