The advancement of the mining industry in Nicaragua has taken a new turn following the revelation of a study indicating that Chinese mining companies already control 10% of Nicaraguan territory through concessions granted by the Daniel Ortega regime. The report, prepared by the Fundación del Río along with other environmental organizations, was presented this Tuesday in Costa Rica and documents the expansion of mining projects in protected areas and indigenous and Afro-descendant territories, as reported by the EFE agency.
According to data presented by the Fundación del Río, Chinese-owned companies hold exploitation rights over 1,277,389 hectares, an area that represents one-tenth of the Central American country. The report details that these concessions include territories of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, natural reserves, and part of the national water network, as well as territories of indigenous and Afro-descendant peoples, as well as natural reserves and part of the national water network.
EFE reported that the study, presented in San José, constitutes an atlas that identifies the affected areas, the origin of the capital involved, and the overlap of concessions with water sources.
During the presentation of the atlas, Amaru Ruiz, president of the Fundación del Río and a denationalized Nicaraguan environmentalist, indicated that between 2021 and June 2026, the dictatorship led by Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo granted mining concessions to 22 Chinese companies in 84 lots intended for the exploration and exploitation of metallic minerals. Ruiz specified, according to EFE, that the total number of mining concessions granted in the country is equivalent to 25% of the national territory, of which 22% corresponds to industrial concessions and 3% to mining reserve areas.
Officials and technical staff inspect the BHMB MINING NICARAGUA S.A site, evaluating the progress of mining operations at the location.
The impact on territories and water resources
The report adds that the Sandinista Executive plans to increase these figures. “The regime has a projection to grant 40% of the national territory in mining concessions,” warned Ruiz, cited by EFE. The Chinese concessions directly affect 18 indigenous and Afro-descendant territories, of which 14 already have legal titles and four are in the process of being titled.
The impacted surface area reaches 681,574 hectares, which is equivalent to 25.5% of these territories and 18% of those already titled. The impact also extends to the water network, with 163 rivers, 80 streams, and nearly 1,900 kilometers of water currents affected by mining activity, according to the study.
The analysis by the Fundación del Río underscores that most are recently established, lack a digital public presence, and there are no indications that they belong to companies listed on international stock exchanges. Furthermore, no background of experience in the mining sector, economic feasibility studies, or information regarding the amount of investments made were found.
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The report warns that the interest of Chinese companies is not limited to the extraction of gold and silver, but encompasses minerals considered critical, such as copper and cobalt, and other materials, including molybdenum, uranium, tungsten, lead, zinc, chromium, and nickel. According to the report released by EFE, the environmental organization maintains that the national legal framework was modified to favor the entry and operation of Chinese capital, as well as to evade sanctions from the United States Department of the Treasury.
Sanctions and the gold business
Last April, the U.S. government sanctioned two children of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo, along with high-ranking officials and seven mining companies linked to the extraction and commercialization of gold, as part of actions to restrict the flow of resources to the Sandinista administration.
The mining boom is reflected in official export data. According to the Ministry of Development, Industry and Trade (Mific) and the Central Bank of Nicaragua, foreign sales of mining products reached USD 2,009 million in 2025, representing a 44.4% growth compared to the previous year. Unwrought gold consolidated its position as the main export product, with revenues of USD 1,971 million and a volume of 19.9 metric tons, which constitutes a historical record for the country.
