"As the gold rush surges in Nicaragua, Indigenous communities pay the price", 31 January 2025

...Gold mining has exploded in Nicaragua over the past few years...International sanctions against the industry have done little to slow it down, with companies from China, Canada, the U.K. and Colombia setting up operations in ecologically sensitive areas — often near national parks and on Indigenous territory.

A lack of government transparency has made it difficult to know how concessions are granted and what happens to them once mining begins. But activist groups say the industry continues to expand, with weak regulations and widespread corruption resulting in deforestation, pollution and human rights violations against Indigenous communities...

The last three years have been especially productive for the industry. Since Jan. 1, 2022, MEM has granted 37 new concessions totaling 651,184 hectares (1.61 million acres). Regulatory agencies ensure that most technical assessments and environmental impact studies are carried out in just one day, according to Land Matrix...

...Canadian company Calibre Mining has 151,921 hectares (375,405 acres) in the Autonomous Region of the North Caribbean Coast, while a collection of Chinese companies have 212,727 hectares (525,660 acres) between them, according to Land Matrix.

Calibre Mining didn’t respond to a request for comment...

In theory, mining companies have to obtain the free, prior and informed consent of affected Indigenous communities before moving forward with a mining project...But the country’s regulations for that process are easily manipulated, Land Matrix found. Companies don’t directly consult with communities, opting instead to work with the local government offices controlled by Ortega’s Sandinista National Liberation Front. This allows them to say they’ve consulted community representatives without ever having to speak with the residents themselves...