SAN SALVADOR, El Salvador (AP) — El Salvador’s Congress has granted approval on Monday for a legislation that would overturn the nation’s longstanding prohibition on metal mining. The measure, championed by President Nayib Bukele, was passed by a decisive vote of 57 to 3. Once secured, the law will permit mining activities across the country except for designated nature reserves and vulnerable watersheds.
President Bukele’s proposal stipulates a prohibition on the usage of toxic mercury in gold mining operations and necessitates that private entities engage in a collaborative arrangement with the government to establish mining operations. Despite opposition from environmental groups and the Roman Catholic Church, who have expressed concerns about potential ecological harm, Bukele has criticized the existing ban as “absurd.”
Archbishop José Luis Escobar Alas has implored the president to uphold the ban, which has been in force since 2017, cautioning that allowing mining to resume could have irreversible consequences for the nation. In a recent sermon, Msgr. Escobar Alas warned, “It will damage this country forever.” This sentiment was echoed by approximately 100 civic and environmental activists who gathered near the Congress in protest.
Adalberto Blanco, representing the Permanent Roundtable on Risk Management, decried the legislation, stating, “They are giving us a gift, on Dec. 23, 2024, of pollution for our water, our land.” A survey conducted by the Central American University José Simeón Cañas indicated that a majority of Salvadorans believe that mining is inappropriate for their country.
In a surprising turn of events in November, President Bukele, who enjoys widespread popularity, endorsed the idea of commencing gold mining operations. He asserted that the untapped gold resources in the country could serve as a transformative source of wealth for El Salvador, estimating the value of the nation’s gold reserves at $3 trillion. While preliminary exploration has unveiled deposits of gold and silver, large-scale metal mining has yet to be initiated, leaving uncertainties regarding the extent of the country’s gold reserves.
With Bukele’s political party exerting substantial control in El Salvador’s Congress and facing minimal opposition, the passage of the mining legislation appears to be imminent, despite the reservations voiced by environmentalists, religious figures, and concerned citizens alike.
