Honduras President Xiomara Castro has announced the ban of open-pit mining in the Central American nation, saying it would cancel environmental permits for mining operations across the country.

However, it is not yet clear whether the cancellation will apply only to new projects or also to those already operating, according to a BBC News report.

The Ministry of Mining noted that "extractive exploitation" is "harmful to the state of Honduras."

Honduras mines gold, silver, copper, lead, and zinc.

The ministry argued that mining threatens natural resources and public health and limits access to water.

The Ministry for Mining and Environment said in a statement that all Honduran territory is declared free of open-pit mining, according to a France24 News report.

Castro announced that banning open-pit mining was on top of her priorities when she took office on January 27.

Among her top priorities were fighting crime, poverty, and corruption that she described being rife during her predecessor's, Juan Orlando Hernandez, administration.

The ministry also promised to intervene "immediately" to conserve areas labeled as having high ecological value while also securing their benefit to the population.

The office of the U.N. High Commissioner for Human Rights in Honduras lauded the ban, saying it is in line with the "principle of climate justice and protection of natural resources."

The U.N. High Commissioner also said that it aligns with public health and access to water as a human right.

However, a member of the National Association of Miners, Santos Gabino Carvajal, said that the ban is "ambiguous and potentially in violation of mining legislation."

He added that it also prohibits the extraction of stone and sand for construction. Carvajal noted that it would kill the "possibility of development."

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Honduras Mining Industry

Canada's Aura Minerals operates an open-pit mine in western Honduras. It has faced local opposition in its operations due to alleged disturbances to a Maya-Chorti indigenous cemetery, according to a Reuters report.

The company suspended its operations last year due to what they described as illegal blockades.

In 2020, Aura Minerals' San Andres mine processed more than 4.4 million tons of ore, as well as produced around 61,000 ounces of gold.

Central bank data noted that Honduran mining export revenue from silver, zinc, and lead projects totaled nearly $130 million last year. It has not yet included any revenue from gold shipments.

Meanwhile, mining projects have continued to affect local communities despite being closed years after, such as the case of the San Martin mine in the Valle de Siria region.

Anti-mining activist Pedro Landa noted that the San Martin mine is a clear example of the environmental damage and the consequences for human health from mining, according to a Global Sisters Report.

The mining project was reported to have left sulfur bank deposits open when the mountains were cut.

Sulfur mingles with the rivers and drinking water, which made people sick with skin diseases and cancer.

More than 200 organizations in Latin America wrote a letter to Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau asking for greater accountability in the Canadian mining operations in their countries.

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This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Mary Webber

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