The government announced it will impose precautionary measures against Marlin gold mine; on the same day the minister of Energy and Mines resigned.
The Inter-American Human Rights Commission (CIDH) had required the government to temporarily shut down the mine, owned by Goldcorp, as a precautionary measure to prevent environmental and human rights damages, while they investigate the matter.
The Inter-American Commission on Human Rights has called on the government to shut the project, pending an investigation into alleged human rights abuses and environmental problems.
María-Isabel Rivero, commission press director, says the call to cease mining is obligatory in Guatemala. She assured that this is necessary to prevent the conditions from worsening in the year or two it would take to investigate the matter, should the alleged human rights and environmental concerns found to be valid.
Canadian mining corporation Radius calculated how much gold it could extract from its “Tambor” project, in San Pedro Ayampuc.
According to Lorena Álvarez, the figure was included in an environmental impact study presented by “Exploraciones Mineras de Guatemala” (Exmingua), a subsidiary of Radius Exploration Ltd.
“Radius plans to invest $33.7 million … Construction would take between 9 and 12 months, the mine would operate for 5 years, and between 12 and 18 months would be required to close the project”, reported Elperiodico.com.gt.
El Salvador and Costa Rica say NO. Panama and Nicaragua say YES. Guatemala and Honduras are expected to decide soon.
Gold and copper prices are on the rise, and investors are eager to put money in extraction projects all over Central America.
But the governments of Central America have different opinions over this industry. While these projects are welcomed and authorized In Panama and Nicaragua, informal and formal moratoriums to the activity are being decreed in Costa Rica and El Salvador, stopping mining concessions under pressure from environmentalist groups. Meanwhile, in Guatemala and Honduras new projects are awaiting rules and regulations that will likely toughen environmental regulations for the mining industry.
There is an unbeatable way to end with mining once and for all.
Sometimes the best way to rebut extreme ideas is to reduce them to the absurd. This is what Santos Gabino Carvajal does in an article published in Sigloxxi.com.
It must be noted that Gabino Carvajal has a large stake in the matter, as he is the president of the Honduran Metal Mining Association.
The Director General Mining of Guatemala issued an Off-Shore Reconnaissance License to G4G Resources and Iron Sands Americas.
The license will permit G4G and Iron Sands Americas Limited ("ISA") to conduct a work program to determine suitable areas for the commencement of an iron sands exploration program.
Guatemala's west coast extends approximately 250 kilometers.
The South American country wants to make mining investments in Guatemala.
Jorge Mario Saavedra, Chilean ambassador in Guatemala, confirmed the information. Chile apparently wants to take advantage of the recently signed Free Trade Agreement between both countries.
“Saavedra added that ‘Chile has a rich mining tradition, we want to bring these investments to Guatemala’”, reported Sigloxxi.com.
Montana Exploradora, a subsidiary from Goldcorp, is exploring a silver deposit located on the east of Guatemala.
Jorge Sandoval, advisor to the company, explained that the deposit could be classified as a “world-class” asset, due to its size. They estimate it could yield 130 million ounces.
Sandoval explained to newspaper Prensa Libre that the company “only has permission to explore, as on 2009 president Alvaro Colom suspended the issuing of licenses for exploitation of mineral deposits”.
Canada’s Supreme Court has ruled that Canadian mining corporations must conduct more detailed environmental impact studies.
Several mining companies from Canada operate in Central America. Some of them include Breakwater Resources (Honduras), Inmet Mining Corp (Panama), Petaquilla Minerals Ltd (Panama), B2Gold Corp (Nicaragua), Argonaut Gold (Guatemala) and GoldCorp (Guatemala and Honduras).
President Álvaro Colom informed that Guatemala will publish bidding rules for new oil and natural-gas blocks before the end of next week.
This process is part of a plan to increase the country's oil production to 60.000 barrels a day in 2011, up from the current 16.000. The winner of the auction will be announced 60 days after the publication of the rules.
Firestone Ventures Inc announces the completion of a mineral exploration program in Huehuetenango.
According to a press release issued by the company, the results of this study will be known in January.
"The company states that Guatemala has 200 kilometers of carbon rocks from the Permian and Cretaceous periods (over 200 million years ago). These hold zinc deposits, as well as zinc sulfide and oxide", reported Prensalibre.com.
President Colom reiterated his government compromise of not granting mining permits.
"The Ministry of Energy and mines has orders: not to grant a single concession", until a national consensus is reached, remarked Colom.
From the La Prensa Libre website: "As of now, Congress has a proposal for reforming the mining law. Regarding community consultation and royalties, the proposal does not include the opinion of the affected sectors".