The opening of an open-pit gold mine in Guatemala is seen in El Salvador as a national security problem, according to parliamentarians.
The authorization in the neighboring nation of the Cerro Blanco mining project to a Canadian company increased alarms in local media due to the threat of the contamination of the Lempa River, its main water source.
The mining project, located 14 kilometers from Salvadoran territory, will be developed by the Canadian company Bluestone Resources Inc., which will convert underground mine operations to open pits, which according to environmentalists will endanger water resources by contaminating it with cyanide and arsenic.
Experts point out that all that leftover material after the extraction of useful minerals becomes waste that is deposited on hills will generates acid drainage and dust that is harmful to health due to its high level of pollution.
The Central American Alliance against Mining (ACAFREMIN), an environmental organization that addresses metal mining in the region, on several occasions denounced the case not only because it represents a risk for Guatemala but also El Salvador. (https://www.plenglish.com/news/2024/01/25/mine-in-guatemala-threatens-national-security-of-el-salvador/)
