Empresa minera sancionada por EE. UU. transfiere concesión a capital chino en Nicaragua
La operación fue autorizada por el Ministerio de Energía y Minas en noviembre de 2025 y se conoció en enero, manteniendo intactos los derechos de explotación sobre un lote de 4.131 hectáreas en el norte del país.
TL;DR
- Comintsa, a Nicaraguan company sanctioned by the US Department of the Treasury, transferred a mining concession of over 4,000 hectares to Thomas Metal S.A., a Chinese company.
- The US sanctions against Comintsa were imposed due to its role in generating revenue for the Nicaraguan regime.
- The concession, named La Reyna II, spans 4,131 hectares and is located between the municipalities of San Ramón and Matagalpa.
- Thomas Metal S.A. assumes Comintsa's rights, including a 25-year renewable concession, and financial obligations to the Nicaraguan state.
- Comintsa is linked to Nicaraguan Minister of Energy and Mines, Salvador Mansell, and Laureano Ortega Murillo.
- The US Treasury has identified Comintsa as an "affiliate gold mining company" involved in corrupt operations that financially sustain the Nicaraguan regime.
- Thomas Metal S.A., a Chinese-capitalized company, holds concessions totaling over 200,000 hectares across various Nicaraguan departments.
- Environmental organizations have raised concerns about a separate 47,410-hectare concession granted to Thomas Metal S.A. in 2025, as it overlaps with sensitive ecological reserves.