Nicaragua grants mining concession to Chinese firm in Río San Juan biosphere
Photo: Wikimedia Commons.
On August 26, 2025, through Ministerial Agreement No. 045-SBT-M-04‑2025, published in La Gaceta, Nicaragua’s Ministry of Energy and Mines (MEM) granted a mining concession known as Villa Álvarez Lot, spanning 4,800 hectares, to Chinese firm Nicaragua Xinxin Linze Minería Group, S.A., within the ecologically rich Río San Juan Biosphere Reserve in El Almendro, department of Río San Juan.
Represented by Chinese national Lijun Dong, the company received a 25-year renewable permit for mineral exploration and extraction, allowing facility installation, subject to a 3% production royalty, mandatory environmental compliance, periodic reporting, and securing landowners’ prior consent.
This latest allocation brings the company’s total authorized territory to over 63,133 hectares across seven lots, significantly expanding its footprint in Nicaragua’s mining sector .
Environmentalists, including Amaru Ruiz, warn of severe threats to endangered species such as the Green Macaw and disruption to almendron forests, integral to the region’s ecosystem. They also raise alarms about scant local consultation and the implications of special development regimes that undermine sovereignty and local rights, a legal structure increasingly linked to China-focused investments in Nicaragua.
Main Source:
Régimen entrega otra concesión de 4.800 hectáreas a empresa minera china – Artículo 66
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