President Defends
His Order For The
Open-Pit Mining Project
Costa Rican president,
Oscar Arias, in a press
conference yesterday
defended the issuance of
an Executive Order to
allow open-pit mining of
the Huetar Norte region,
three kilometres from
the San Juan river, of
he Nicaragua border.
Following the weekly
cabinet meeting, Arias
gave his statement to
the press and then
withdrew from the salon
with his brother, the
ministro de la
presidencia, Rodrigo
Arias.
Sitted next to four
small shrubs known as "crotos"
that are popularly
called "oro" (gold) for
its golden leaves and
his back to officials of
the Ministerio del
Ambiente (Minaet), Arias
defended the legality of
the Order issued last
Friday, that was was
suspended by the Sala
Constitucional
(Constitutional Court)
on Monday.
The president, pointing
to the Minaet officials,
said that they (the
Minaet) had been
studying the case for
years and studied the
Order that was presented
him and the Environment
minister for a
signature. "I trusted
them. That is it", said
Arias.
"In Costa Rica thins
have to be done by
concession because the
State does not have the
money, nor are there
private companies that
can buld new ports,
roads or exploit gold
mining", added Arias.
With his brother,
Rodrigo, and the
ministro de Ambiente,
Roberto Dobles, at his
side, Arias assured that
the Minaet officials,
the Sistema Nacional de
Áreas de Conservación (Sinac),
the Secretaría Técnica
Nacional Ambiental (Setena),
the Departamento Legal
del Minaet and the
Dirección Nacional de
Geología y Minas, all
studied the project and
the Order.
"The truth is that all
studies were made",
assured the president
who added that
professors of the public
universities, the
Universidad Nacional (UC)
and the Universidad de
Costa Rica (UCR) and the
Instituto Tecnológico
(Technological
Institute) participated
in the study of the
project and the Order.
He indicated that the
project has been in
works for the last 15
years, but writs of
habeas corpus "come and
go", as well as a number
of groups are opposed to
the project.
Arias maintains that
"the country has not
improvised, Costa Rica
is known for the
thoroughness with the
environment," and
defended the company,
Industrias Infinito, a
a subsidiary of
the Canadian company
Vanessa Ventures,
"because it has
experience in Europe and
Canada."
Arias stressed that
during his presidential
campaign that led him to
be elected in 2006, the
mayor of San Carlos,
community groups,
neighbours and
development
associations, all showed
their support for the
mining project that was
passed on from the
previous government.
The president said that
his government will
abide by the decision of
the Sala IV
(Constitutional Court).
The president, visibly
upset, reported that
Nicaragua has 14 mining
projects in operation.
Even, "Infinto has
investments in the
neighboring country."
said Arias.
Arias insisted, again
and again, that all the
legal requirements were
met an that is why there
can be no
"prevarication".
"I went to the School of
Law at the University of
Costa Rica, but it did
not pass over me", the
president declared.
In closing, before
retiring without taking
questions from the
press, Arias reminded
his audience that he
"swore to uphold the
laws, not break them"
and that all the legal
processes were followed.
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