The president and vice-president of the mining conglomerate Barrick Gold will arrive in the country from Canada today, Monday 6 May, to deal with the government’s demands for a new export agreement for the metals from the Pueblo Viejo mine in Cotui. According to El Caribe, the visit by the top Barrick Gold executives is the result of pressure from the Dominican government, especially after the halting of a shipment that was due to leave from Las Americas International Airport last Wednesday, 1 May. News reports say that Barrick could owe the government as much as US$1 billion in penalties for irregularities in export operations since November.
Geologist Osiris de Leon told El Caribe that the latest halting of the shipment was what led to the company’s decision to bring their two top executives to the DR. The newspaper speculates that their arrival might spell an agreement between the company and the government.
Over the weekend of 4 and 5 May, a “Popular Court” symbolically sentenced former President Leonel Fernandez to 20 years in prison and ordered the nationalization of the mine at Pueblo Viejo. Of course, none of this will happen. In 2009, at Barrick Gold’s request, President Leonel Fernandez pushed through the PLD majority Congress the contract that modified the Placer Dome agreement that would have been much more favorable for the Dominican Republic.
Barrick is having a tough time internationally as communities reject mining practices.
Earlier in April, a Chilean court suspended Barrick’s US$8 billion Pascua-Lama project, which lies on the border with Argentina, for environmental violations.
www.santiagotimes.cl/business/mining/26073-barrick-gold-contemplates-closing-troubled-chilean-mine