Sánchez Ramírez, RD. – The Vice Minister of Mines, Miguel Ángel Díaz, defended the process that the Dominican government has carried out in relation to the relocation of communities in Zambrana, Cotuí, for the construction of a new one tailings dam from the mining company Barrick GoldIn his statements, the official emphasized that the State has acted in accordance with current regulations and asserted that the conflict with the community members stems from the need to guarantee the right to transit.
"It's not mining, but a technical necessity."
The deputy minister explained that the decree 270-22, issued in May 2022, does not authorize mining in the area, but rather seeks to facilitate the construction of the new tailings dam, necessary for the continuity of the mine's operations. Old Town.
"The decree establishes that this is not a mining operation, but rather a project subject to environmental impact and feasibility studies.", said Diaz.
According to its statements, Barrick Gold submitted an approved environmental impact study in 2023, and the company that will conduct the feasibility study is currently in the bidding process.
Initial rejection and transfer of the project to Zambrana
Díaz recalled that the mining company had requested since 2019 to carry out studies for a new tailings dam in the province Monte Plata. However, the rejection of communities led the government to evaluate other areas, ultimately selecting the municipality of Zambrana Arriba, which would involve the resettlement of six communities: The Orange Tree, The Ray, Ligo, Arroyo Vuelta, Plaja, The 3 Mouths and The 2 Palms.
“It has always been an involuntary resettlement, but we have worked since October 2022 as mediators between the company and the communities to ensure it is a successful process.”, said the deputy minister.
On the repression in Zambrana: "The State must uphold the Constitution."
Regarding the clashes between community members and the military the past January 8thDíaz justified the actions of law enforcement, claiming that the communities had been blocking traffic in the area for months, affecting mining operations and contracts with landowners.
"We went through a very long process asking the community not to obstruct traffic. Barrick had contracts to drill and couldn't carry out their work. There came a time when, as a state, we had to uphold the Constitution and guarantee the right to transit.", he explained.
However, when asked about official reports of the incident, the deputy minister admitted that they still did not have any concrete information on the orders given to the military.
"We need to ask the colonel who heads the Ministry's security department for the report. I wasn't present.", he acknowledged.
The future of the project and the feasibility study
Diaz assured that the feasibility study of the new tailings dam will be decisive in defining the future of the project and, if it does not meet the appropriate technical criteria, the necessary corrections will be made.
"The feasibility study must give us that certainty. If it doesn't, we'll simply tell the company it needs to correct whatever is needed.", he clarified.
However, the affected communities consider that the process has been flawed from the beginning, pointing out that the government has already made the decision to go ahead with the construction of the dam "no matter what".
These statements were offered in the program Under The Spotlight, a production of the newspaper De Último Minuto, broadcast by The Six and under the direction of the journalist Pamela RojasThe report presented testimonies from the affected communities and exposed the conflict that keeps the communities of Sánchez Ramírez.
Uncertainty persists in Zambrana, where community members continue to oppose being displaced from their lands, while the government maintains its position that the project is a necessity for the mining industry in the country.
