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Opponents To Open Pit Mining Want Environment Minister Fired
A group opposed to open pit mining at Las Crucitas in San Carlos, protested yesterday in San José, demanding the firing of the Ministerio de Ambiente, Energía y Telecomunicaciones (Minaet), Roberto Dobles.

The group took their demonstration outside the Minaet offices to express their discontent with the mining activity in the northern zone and the Executive Order signed by Costa Rican president, Oscar Arias and Dobles.

The Sala Constitucional (Constitutional Court) put the brakes on the Order and the mining activity, leading to charges of impropriety against the president, who defended his signing the document by saying he relied on Minaet officials to have done all the due diligence in the case.

"If they cannot protect the environment, they should, with a little dignity following this embarrassing Order, leave their posts", were the words of Heidi Murillo, president of the Federación Ecologista Costarricense (Fecon).

The protestors got the support of several legislators of the Partido Acción Ciudadana (PAC) and the Frente Amplio, as well as several union leaders.

The protestors say that open pit mining is one of the most destructive forms against the environment and that the only thing the activity leaves behind is total destruction of the forests and causes contamination.

Marvin Rojas, PAC legislator, added that the only benefit for the mining is for the private companies who extract the gold and then take out of the country.

"The residents of Las Crucitas do not have sewers, nor drinking water, having to use water from the creeks, which will be contaminated with cyanide and other chemicals from the ore extraction activity", said Rojas.

Gino Biamonte, president of the Asociación Preservacionista de Flora y Fauna Silvestre (Apreflofas) warned that yesterday's protest was just the beginning of the fight against open pit mining.

Biamonte added that the terrible deforestation and environmental damage in San Carlos are not in accordance with the international image that president Arias wants to have, saying that if the president wants to promote his program "Paz con la Naturaleza" (Peace with Nature), but in effect what he is doing "is declaring death to nature and that it die in peace".