GNV News, December 29, 2024

On December 23, 2024, El Salvador’s Legislative Assembly overturned the ban on metal mining that had been in effect for seven years since 2017. The Nuevas Ideas party led by President Nayib Bukele holds the vast majority of seats, and all of its lawmakers voted in favor of repealing the ban, and the repeal passed.

In 2017, El Salvador passed the world’s first law banning metal mining with the aim of protecting the environment and natural resources, marking a historic milestone. Following that, other Central American countries such as Costa Rica, Guatemala, Honduras, and Panama also saw moves to roll back metal mining—though not comprehensive—such as banning open-pit mining and halting specific projects. However, Bukele, who took office as president in 2019 and began his second term in 2024, has argued that metal mining could bring “unprecedented” economic and social development to the people of El Salvador, citing the possibility that large amounts of gold are buried in the country. The country is burdened with heavy debt, reaching about 85% of gross domestic product (GDP) at the beginning of 2024.

It has been pointed out that metal mining has severe impacts on the environment. For example, metal mining requires large amounts of water in the process, while El Salvador faces a shortage of per-capita water resources. In addition, toxic waste used in the mining process poses a risk of contaminating the country’s limited water sources. As a result, condemnation from environmentalists and anti-mining groups of the repeal of the ban has been mounting.

Learn more about El Salvador’s homicide rate and President Bukele → “El Salvador: the halving of homicides that occurred in just one year”

Learn more about mining in Latin America → “Peru: illegal gold mining that involves the world”

The Lempa River, a major water source for El Salvador (Photo: randreu / Wikimedia Commons [CC BY 3.0])