Costa Ricans To
March Against
Gold Mine
Exploitation
Environment
advocates have
called for a
march next
Thursday in San
José to reject
the
Constitutional
Court ruling
last Friday that
gives the green
light for
exploitation of
gold mines in
northern Costa
Rica.
Although the
work on the
project is
temporarily on
hold after
environmentalists
filed an action
with theTribunal Contencioso
Administrativo,
effectively
halting the
Crucitas open
pit mining project to at
least Wednesday.
Luis Diego Marón
of the Preserve
Planet
Association
called the
decision
irresponsible
and cautions
that the mine
will pollute
waters, affect
the yellow
almond trees and
the green lapa,
a bird in danger
of extinction.
With the
exploitation of
the opencast
deposit in Las
Crucitas located
3 miles from the
border with
Nicaragua, the
management
expects to
extract 700 000
ounces of gold
in ten years
valued in about
us$800 million
dollars.
Costa Rican
president, Oscar
Arias, on Friday
expressed his
pleasure for the
court resolution
and said the
sentences have
to be complied
with.
However the
President of the
Costa Rican
Federation for
the Preservation
of the
Environment
Heidy Murillo
warned that the
legal fight
still remain.
Murillo
announced a
demonstration
for April 22 in
San Jose against
the court's
decision that
favors the
Infinito
companies whith
headquarters in
Canada.
Members of
environmental
organizations,
political
leaders and
locals affected
by irrational
exploitation of
their natural
resources will
join the march
next Thursday.
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