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Nicaragua: Mining in the Southeast Biosphere
Reserve
Nicaragua has been aware of the effects
of mining for a long time now. The many gold mining and other
metal mineral works have left an aftermath of environmental degradation,
impacts on water resources with, inter alia, high cyanide, lead
and arsenic levels and irreparable damage to the health of thousands
of workers who have also suffered violation of their labour rights.
In spite of the fact that some Nicaraguan
municipalities that had supported development on the basis of
extractive activities now have the highest poverty rates – according
to the poverty map prepared by the Nicaraguan Statistics and Census
Institute (INEC) – the Government of Nicaragua is showing increasing
interest in continuing to grant mining concessions all over the
country. The Humboldt Centre has recorded that in December
2005, a total of 1,401,539 hectares were granted for metallic
and non-metallic prospecting, in a country that has a total terrestrial
area of 12,142,800 hectares.
Recently, the Municipal Government of
Nueva Guinea, granted Minerales de Nicaragua S.A. (MINESA) a permit
to prospect and exploit an open cast mine. Members of the Municipal
Development Committee (CDM) of the Municipal Environmental Commission
(CAM) and of Organized Civil Society (OCS) lodged a complaint
with the Administrative Chamber of the Supreme Court of Justice
(CSJ). In March 2004, MINESA had requested the General Natural
Resources Office of the Ministry of Promotion, Industry and Trade
(MIFIC) to grant it a mining concession for a 25 year period,
of a 23,000 hectare parcel of land known as San Antonio.
The site is located in the Municipality
of Nueva Guinea, part of the Southeast Nicaragua Biosphere Reserve,
covering an extension of 18,340 Km2 and harbouring high biodiversity
of flora and fauna. “The soil of Nueva Guinea is clayey and acid.
As it is in the humid tropics, leaf decay and organic elements
together with humidity favour a productive fertile layer. However,
the development of mining is detrimental to the environment, converting
it into dry tropical lands,” explained Luis Umaña, OCS representative.
Mining works will completely change the type of vegetation, biodiversity,
flora and fauna, in addition to affecting soil productivity and
causing displacement of the population and other economic activities
which generate greater income.
Umaña explained that with this type
of action the Municipal Government of Nueva Guinea will encourage
the social and environmental degradation of the area, affecting
over 120,000 inhabitants. As it is a region with constant rainfall,
there is serious danger of scattered cyanide being absorbed by
the soil and contaminating the groundwater.
The OCS complained that legal provisions
had not been complied with regarding prior consultation with the
local inhabitants in view of mining concessions. Law 475 on Citizen
Participation requesting the government to consult with the citizenship
has been violated. For this reason we are asking for more information
in order to give an opinion regarding the viability, benefits
or damages that this activity may give rise to in the Municipality
of Nueva Guinea,” stated Umaña.
The OCS member urged the mayor of the
Municipality and his government to respect articles 60 and 102
of Nicaragua’s Political Constitution, which guarantee citizens’
rights to inhabit a healthy environment and set out the State’s
obligation to preserve and care for the environment and natural
resources.
Article based on information from: “Reserva
de la biosfera del Sur Este de Nicaragua en Peligro por concesión
Minera”, Aldo Palacios, distributed by the Network of Environmental
Journalists, Case: Expansion of Mining concessions and activities
in Central American Territories, Humboldt Centre.
http://www.humboldt.org.ni/descargas/denuncias_veredictos/veredicto%20Caso%20
Centroam%E9rica%20mineria.pdf
