Más oro, más concesiones: minería crece 9% en medio de la expansión china en Nicaragua
El crecimiento de la actividad minera es empujado por el auge de las mineras nicaragüenses ligadas al régimen y a 14 empresas chinas que acaparan el 7% del territorio nacional, incluso en áreas protegidas.
TL;DR
- Mining and quarrying activity in Nicaragua grew by 9% by November 2025.
- This growth is primarily driven by Nicaraguan companies linked to the regime and 14 Chinese companies.
- These companies now control approximately 7% of Nicaragua's national territory.
- Exports of gold increased by 51.2% in the first three quarters of 2025, reaching $486.1 million.
- Total gold export revenue for the first 11 months of 2025 was $1.827 billion, surpassing the total for 2024.
- The regime of Daniel Ortega and Rosario Murillo has granted numerous mining concessions, many to Chinese-backed companies and those linked to the ruling circle.
- Two companies, Capital Mining Investment Nicaragua and Comintsa, were sanctioned by the U.S. Treasury for generating revenue for the regime.
- Comintsa has transferred concessions to Chinese companies like Thomas Metal S.A., which is seen as a way to evade U.S. sanctions.
- Environmental organizations warn that the mining expansion threatens biodiversity and has led to the displacement of indigenous and Afro-descendant communities.
- Some mining concessions overlap with protected areas, including the Indio Maíz Biological Reserve.