The Dominican Customs authorities prevented a shipment of gold being sent by Barrick Pueblo Viejo to Canada via the United States through the cargo terminal at Las America’s airport yesterday, 13 March.
When representatives from Barrick were in the process of exporting the gold, the authorities received a phone call from the Customs Office with an order to stop the operation.
It is thought that President Danilo Medina had instructed the head of Customs, Fernando Fernandez, to halt gold exports by Barrick until they reach a satisfactory agreement with the Dominican government.
There is currently a conflict between the government and the company due to the supposed inequality in earnings generated by the extraction of gold at the Pueblo Viejo mine in Cotui. The contract was passed in 2009 by the PLD-majority Congress. Most of the same legislators are now critical of the contract.
The gold had been taken to the airport on board a private helicopter and arrived there under strict security. On arrival it was taken to the cargo terminal in a blacked-out private security vehicle. It was then due to be loaded onto a commercial flight to Miami, and then on to Canada where Barrick has its head office.
Apparently when the Barrick Gold personnel asked Customs’ employees why the gold could not leave the country, they were told they had received orders from their superiors.
A group consisting of Customs, the Airport Security Corps, Civil Aviation and Barrick Gold agreed to keep the cargo of gold in military custody until a solution to the impasse is found.
www.listindiario.com/la-republica/2013/3/14/269456/Impiden-la-exportacion-de-oro-a-la-Barrick-Gold