Costa Ricans nix Open-Sky Gold mining
Costa Rica: Environmentally responsible Costa Ricans was
scheduled to march Thursday against the Supreme Court rule that okays
Las Crucitas gold mine open-sky operation despite environmental and
community hazards.
The decision favours a Canadian contractor that plans to produce some
800,000 ounces of gold, worth $800M, in ten years. Union Norte por la
Vida, the Front against Open-Sky Gold Mining and Costa Rica's
pro-Environment Federation, among other organizations, hope to attract
thousands of protesters.
The mine, just 5km from the border with Nicaragua, will poison both
countries' waters, flora and fauna with cyanide, compromising
traditional livelihoods like fishing, farming and herding, and led to
displacements due to its location in Indigenous territories.
San Jose, Prensa Latina |