The decree takes effect Tuesday and covers even pre-2023 concessions, with Supreme Court backing that holding a concession grants no automatic right to mine.
The president pointed out that those who have proof of such ties should approach the judicial authorities as no formal complaints about threats or crimes have been presented.
Mining Union attorney says Canadian and U.S. companies are calling in drug-trafficking mafias to break unions at Peñasquito and Camino Rojo.
Mexico’s Mining Union wins the largest profit-share in the country’s mining history: 1.5 million pesos for each of Peñasquito’s 2,000 workers.
The arrival of mining companies in the area represents a benefit for criminal groups that impose fees & extortion to allow the extraction and transport of minerals.
The head of Mexico’s National Mining Union said that several mines are replicating the model of Canadian Orla Mining, hiring armed groups to interfere in union votes.
The Mexican Network of People Affected by Mining believes the government is expediting environmental permits without considering the cumulative impacts in regions that already face overexploitation of aquifers & environmental degradation.
The yet-to-be-disclosed 200 mining concessions voluntarily returned to the Mexican state represent less than 1% of the 22,000 currently active, while questions remain about the government’s new strategy.
Mining in Mexico has not led to economic development. Despite record wealth extraction, mining communities remain poor, and often poverty rates are far higher than the national average.