Sanchez Ramirez. – The recent broadcast of the program Under The Spotlight, broadcast by De Último Minuto and The Six, highlighted the conflict between the mining company Barrick Gold and the communities of Zambrana Arriba, who are facing a relocation process that many consider unfair. The investigation, led by journalist Pamela Rojas, exposed complaints from residents who claim they are being evicted without fair compensation.
According to the report, Barrick conducted a census in 2020 to determine how many families would be relocated. However, community members question the transparency of this process, denouncing the lack of clear data on who was counted and what compensation they will receive. Of the 1,684 affected families, 653 will be relocated to the project. New Horizons, while the remaining 1,031 would only receive compensation for their properties, without the right to new housing.
One of the main complaints is the low value the mining company is offering for their land and crops. For example, farmer Santo Francisco reported that he was offered only RD$279,207 for his 1,786-square-meter plot of land, which includes 175 cacao plants with more than 30 years of productive life. In 2021, Barrick paid RD$628 for a cacao plant, a figure that will increase to RD$2,195 in 2025, but community members maintain that this is still far below the real value, especially when a quintal of cacao costs more than RD$30,000 in the current market.
The report also revealed the discontent of residents who refuse to move to New Horizons, arguing that the new way of life isn't suitable for them. "Here we eat what we grow, there's nothing there," complained Epifania Manzueta, who owns 700 tareas of land and rejects the mining company's offers.
Despite attempts at dialogue with the government and the Catholic Church, uncertainty persists. Barrick insists it has followed the proper procedures and that the relocations are voluntary, but community members claim it is a disguised eviction.
The future of these families is still at stake. Will they give in to pressure or resist until they achieve what they consider fair compensation? The story is still unfolding.
