‘They take the water, the springs dry up’: fear as Guatemalan goldmine plan is revived
After lying dormant for years, the Era Dorada project in Asunción Mita resumed this year and villagers say history is being repeated, despite promises of change
TL;DR
- The Era Dorada gold mining project in Guatemala, previously inactive, has been reactivated by Aura Minerals, raising concerns among local communities.
- Residents report a recurrence of water shortages, attributing them to the mine's water extraction, a problem they experienced when the mine first began operations.
- Despite Aura Minerals' claims of sustainability, including water purification and closed-loop recycling, activists and locals are skeptical due to past environmental impacts and criticisms of the project's Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
- The project's location within a protected biological corridor and concerns about the discharge of geothermal water containing arsenic add to environmental worries.
- Communities relying on the Ostúa River and Lake Güija fear the mine's reactivation could jeopardize their livelihoods and water sources.