Lawmakers in El Salvador have voted to reintroduce industrial mining in the country, ending a landmark ban that was meant to protect freshwater and public health. The law, pushed through just days before the end of 2024, gives the government control over the country’s massive gold reserves, which have gone untouched since 2017 due to a nationwide ban on extractives. For many conservationists, this marks a major step backwards in the fight to protect El Salvador’s fragile ecosystems. “It’s an absolutely disastrous decision,” said Luis González, advocacy director for the Salvadoran Ecological Unit, an environmental NGO. “[The mining ban] was established after years of struggle, but also because it was technically and scientifically proven that mining is an unviable activity in Salvadoran territory due to the environmental, water and population conditions.” The law received 57 votes in favor and three against, passing just days before the end of the 2024 legislative session despite polls showing that mining is deeply unpopular in the country. Around 60% of Salvadorans think the country is unsuitable for mining and over 78% believe living near a mine to be “very dangerous,” according to one survey. The legislative assembly voted on the mining law in late December. Photo courtesy of Asamblea Legislativa. Mining creates a new revenue stream for the government, which has been looking to show the IMF and other international backers that the country is economically stable enough to pay back loans. Preliminary studies of a small area of the country found approximately 50…This article was originally published on Mongabay
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